Pursuant to Section 20-41a, Connecticut General Statutes licensed naturopathic physicians are required to participate in continuing education (CE) activities.  Please note the following:

Number of Hours

A licensed naturopathic physician shall earn a minimum of fifteen contact hours of qualifying continuing education during the 1 year period commencing on the first date of license renewal on and after October 1, 2009.  One contact hour means a minimum of fifty minutes of continuing education activity.

Qualifying CE

Continuing education shall be directly related to the practice of naturopathy; and reflect the professional needs of the licensee in order to meet the health care needs of the public.

Qualifying continuing education activities include, but are not limited to, courses, including on-line courses, offered or approved by the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges, regionally accredited institutions of higher education or a state or local health department. The Department does not pre-approve CE offerings.  It is incumbent on the practitioner and the provider to determine if the course meets the requirements.

Documentation

Each licensee applying for license renewal will be asked to attest that the licensee satisfies the continuing education requirements.  Certificates of completion should not be mailed to the Department at the time of license renewal unless a licensee is specifically directed to do so.

Record Retention

Each licensee shall retain records of attendance that demonstrate compliance with the continuing education requirements, and shall retain such documentation for a minimum of five years following the year in which the continuing education activities were completed.  Upon the request of the Department, a licensee shall submit records or certificates of completion of continuing education within forty-five days of such request.  A licensee, who fails to comply with the continuing education requirements, including failure to maintain proof of course completion, is subject to disciplinary action.

Exemptions

A licensee applying for license renewal for the first time is exempt from the continuing education requirements until the licensee’s next registration period. Registration period means the one-year period for which a license has been renewed.

In individual cases involving medical disability or illness, the Department may, in its discretion, grant a waiver of the continuing education requirements or an extension of time within which to fulfill the continuing education requirements to any licensee, provided the licensee submits to the Department an application for waiver or extension of time, along with a certification by a licensed physician of the disability or illness.

The Department may grant a waiver or extension for a period not to exceed one registration period; however, the Department may grant additional waivers or extensions if the medical disability or illness upon which a waiver or extension is granted continues beyond the period of the waiver or extension and the licensee applies for an additional waiver or extension.

Reinstatement of a Lapsed License

Any licensee whose license lapses due to non-renewal who applies for reinstatement shall submit evidence documenting successful completion of fifteen contact hours of continuing education within the one-year period immediately preceding application for reinstatement.