§30-1-7a. Continuing education.

(a) A board referred to in this chapter shall establish continuing education requirements as a prerequisite to license renewal. A board shall develop continuing education criteria appropriate to its discipline, which shall include, but not be limited to, course content, course approval, hours required, and reporting periods.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, a person issued an initial license to practice medicine and surgery, a license to practice podiatry or licensed as a physician assistant by the West Virginia Board of Medicine; a person issued a license to practice dentistry by the West Virginia Board of Dental Examiners; a person issued a license to practice optometry by the West Virginia Board of Optometry, a person licensed as a pharmacist by the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy; a person licensed to practice registered professional nursing or licensed as an advanced nurse practitioner by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses; a person licensed as a licensed practical nurse by the West Virginia State Board of Examiners for Licensed Practical Nurses; and a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery as an osteopathic physician and surgeon, or licensed or certified as an osteopathic as physician assistant by the West Virginia Board of Osteopathy shall complete drug diversion training, best-practice prescribing of controlled substances training, and training on prescribing and administering an opioid antagonist if that person prescribes, administers, or dispenses a controlled substance as that term is defined in §60A-1-101 of this code.

A person who receives his or her initial license or certificate from any of the boards set forth in this section shall complete the continuing education requirements set forth in this section within one year of receiving his or her initial license from that board.