State Board of Osteopathic Medicine Education and Volunteer Services (proposed rulemaking) Request for Public Comment

The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine (Board) proposes to amend continuing education and volunteer services regulations. In 2016, the Achieving Better Care by Monitoring All Prescriptions Program Act (Act) was amended to require mandatory education for physician and nurse training on organ and tissue donation and recovery. To comply with the Act, the Board is proposing regulations for DOs to complete at least 2 hours of board-approved continuing education in organ donation one time within 5 years of initial licensure or within 5 years of license renewal, whichever occurs first. The proposed effective date for this requirement is May 1, 2026.

Additionally, the Act requires the Board to adopt an opioid education curriculum, which may be offered in colleges or by providers approved by the Board. The Board adopted the PA-SUPPORT opioid education curriculum. The PA-SUPPORT curriculum, entitled ''Source for Understanding Pain, Prescribing Opioids, and Recovery Treatment'' is posted on the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University's website. A link to the adopted curriculum is posted on the Board's website. MDs may but are not required to take the PA-SUPPORT curriculum to satisfy the opioid education requirements. For guidance, the DOH posted seven modules that fit within the topics of the mandated education on its webpage at https://www.pa.gov/agencies/health/healthcare-and-public-health-professionals/pdmp/education.

Finally, the Board proposes to amend regulations for the Volunteer Health Service Act. To provide clarity, the board proposes to add definitions of ''family member,'' ''approved organization,'' ''primary health care services,'' ''nonretired Board-regulated practitioner,'' and ''retired Board-regulated practitioner.'' Furthermore, the Board clarifies and updates the requirements for eligibility for a volunteer license for retired and nonretired board-regulated practitioners.

Public Comment

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, suggestions or objections regarding this proposed rulemaking to Regulatory Counsel, State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 69523, Harrisburg, PA 17106-9523, RA-STRegulatoryCounsel@pa.gov within 30 days following publication of this proposed rulemaking in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Reference 16A-5337 (Education and Volunteer Services) when submitting comments.

For more information, please review the November 22, 2025 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.