Maryland Department of Agriculture

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Request for Continuing Education




 
 


Note: As of March 2023, regulation 15.14.10.05E and 15.14.16.04B5 have been updated to allow all Continuing Education Credits to be obtained online. While the Board strongly encourages some Continuing Education to be earned through in person sessions, they are no longer required. 

CEs for Veterinarians being submitted for the next renewal cycle (due June 30th, 2025) should be entered into the portal under FY26!​ A total of 18 CEs must be entered under FY26 for the renewal option to be available. 

CEs for Veterinary Technicians may be entered following the fiscal year of your last renewal. For FY26 triennial renewals (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028) CEs should be entered under FY24, FY25, and FY26. A total of 24 CEs must be entered under these years for the renewal option to be available.  
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BEFORE YOU SUBMIT. . . 

Not all CEs require Board approval! If you are attending a CE course that is RACE Approved or offered by a state or regional Veterinary Medical Association, the Board will accept those CE credits without Board approval. Please do not submit requests for those CEs. ​For more information on preapproved CEs and how to submit a request for approval please CLICK HERE​. 

All requests for CE are reviewed once a month during regular Board meetings which are typically held the 4th Thursday of every month. You will hear soon after the meeting whether your request is approved. PLEASE SUBMIT EARLY!

If you are a representative of an organization that is requesting to award Continuing Education credits to licensed veterinarians or registered veterinary technicians who attend courses, seminars, presentations, etc. that you are planning to provide, you must submit a request for approval at least 30 days in advance of the event.  (Note: You may receive approval retroactively but you may not advertise the session as “CE approved” until you receive approval.)

If you are a licensed veterinarian or registered veterinary technician requesting to receive CE credit for an event you plan to attend, you must also submit approval during the fiscal year in which the event takes place and no later than June 1 of every year. You must receive approval before you may include it as part of your registration requirement.  

IMPORTANT: APPROVAL DOES NOT  AWARD CEs TO INDIVIDUALS. It approves courses and presentations that can be used to obtain CEs. You will have to upload proof of attendance when you renew your license. If you are requesting  more than 2 CEs for a single event, you must attach a copy of the event program or agenda detailing the presentations/event. 

Request for approval must be submitted online to the SBVME for approval. When you hit the submit button, you will be asked to provide the following information: 
  1. Sponsor's name and contact person's email address and telephone number;
  2. Title and/or topic, date(s), and location(s) of course, seminar, lecture, or meeting;
  3. Objectives or goals of the course, seminar, lecture, or meeting;  
  4. Name of instructor and brief biography (maybe be uploaded);
  5. Length of program; 
  6. Certificate of Attendance (required)
(NOTE. You must complete your request in one session. You can not save it and come back to it.) ​

Requirements: State regulations require veterinarians to obtain 18 CEs hours every year. RVTs must have 24 CEs over three years. For details. 

For more information regarding Continuing Education please view the searchable COMAR here.​ Continuing Education regulations are under Title 15 Maryland Department of Agriculture > Subtitle 14 Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners > Chapter 10 Continuing Education Requirements (Veterinarians) and Chapter 16 Continuing Education Requirements for Registered Veterinary Technicians.​



Requirements for CDS Permits

Any veterinarian who applies for an initial CDS permit or who applies to renew a CDS permit on or after October 1, 2018 must first take 2 CEs in prescribing or dispensing CDS. The CEs must be approved by the State Board.  (See below) You will have to attest to taking these CEs when you apply for your CDS permit. 

Note: CDS permits are issued by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), Office of Provider Engagement and CDS Registration – not the State Veterinary Board.  

Although the State Veterinary Board does not require new licensees to obtain CEs their first year of licensure, MDH does require licensees to have these 2 CEs before obtaining a CDS permit. 
 
This is a one-time requirement. If you already have a CDS permit, you only have to take these 2 CEs the first time you renew after October 1, 2018.  These CEs may be used toward your annual CE requirement for license registration.  

Courses that may be used to meet this requirement are below: 
  • Any webinar or CE course pertaining to the prescribing or dispensing of CDS that is RACE Approved. 
  • Any webinar or CE course pertaining to the prescribing or dispensing of CDS by veterinarians that is provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), VetFolio, VetGirl, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) or the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA). 

Other Qualifying Webinars:

Qualifying Workshops & Conferences: 
  • The Maryland Veterinary Medical Association will present, "An easy Guide to Compliance - sponsored by Covetrus" at the Mid-Atlantic States Veterinary Clinic (May 16, 2019) and the MVMA Annual Summer Conference (June 24, 2019). Both sessions meet the 2 hour CE requirement.  
  • New York Vet Conference Program 2018. November 8, 2018 session, "Controlled Substance Prescribing, Reporting, Record Keeping, and Diversion Prevention," Parts 1 and 2.   

MDH may audit permit holders for compliance. If you fraudulently obtain a CDS permit by attesting to taking these courses when you did not, you will be subject to fines and penalties from MDH and the State Board. 
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Maryland Department of Agriculture
50 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-841-5700 or Dial 7-1-1 for Maryland Relay