California law (AB 487) requires physicians to complete 12 hours of continuing medical education (CME) in pain management and the care of terminally ill and dying patients. Physicians have until December 31 to satisfy this requirement. Doctors licensed in California after 2002 (when the law was enacted) have four years from the date of licensure to complete the CME requirement.

Physicians can choose from a variety of courses to fulfill this requirement, including:

Pain, Palliation, & Politics: Pain Management and End-of-Life Care in California’s Regulatory Environment: This practical, two-day CME program will be held September 8-9 at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel and again December 1-2 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. CMA tailored this program to meet the needs of physicians who do not specialize in pain medicine. Offering 14 hours of Category I CME, this program completely fulfills California’s AB 487 mandate.

CMA members pay $335 (nonmembers $600). Register early and get $40 off the registration fee. Click here to register.

CMA/UCSD Pain Management CME Program on DVD: CMA and the UCSD School of Medicine have created a unique case-based CME program on DVD that physicians can use to receive their state-mandated 12 hours of Category I CME in pain medicine and end-of-life care. The program, “Pain Management: A Case-Based CME Program for Physicians,” provides specific information on the most common pain syndromes. It features several expert presenters who have also been participating in “Pain, Palliation, & Politics,” CMA’s ongoing series of pain and end-of-life care conferences.

CMA members pay $150 for 12 hours of CME (nonmembers $200) or $100 for 6 hours (nonmembers $150). Click here for more information.

Essentials of Pain Medicine: What You Need to Know on the Front Line of Medicine: This program, presented by the American Academy of Pain Medicine and endorsed by CMA, is June 24-25 in Newport Beach. The program, designed for physicians who do not specialize in pain management, offers clinically focused lectures and case presentations on the assessment, diagnosis, referral, and treatment of patients with complex pain. End-of-life care and regulatory issues that impact pain management will also be covered.

CMA members pay $295 (nonmembers $345). Participants can receive 12 hours of Category I CME. Click here to register.