Board directs staff to draft regulation allowing CE credit for attending meetings, using pharmacy model

The California Acupuncture Board voted to direct staff to draft a proposed regulation that would authorize continuing education (CE) credit for licensees who attend board meetings. Board members and public commenters argued the change could increase practitioner engagement and provide practical learning, especially for new graduates.

Staff policy coordinator Christine Brothers summarized how other healing‑arts boards treat CE for meeting attendance: examples included 4–8 hours allowed by several boards, and the Board of Pharmacy’s model (a maximum of six hours per renewal cycle) was singled out as a preferred starting point. Staff noted options used by other boards — hour‑for‑hour credit, a fixed credit per meeting, certificate issuance and in‑person sign‑in procedures — and cautioned about awarding substantive ethics credit without mechanisms to verify learning.

Public commenters included licensees, students and professional associations who supported the proposal and suggested safeguards such as sign‑in/sign‑out, periodic camera checks for remote attendees, post‑meeting surveys and short assessments. The board approved a motion to “direct staff to work to develop a CE regulation regarding attendance at board meetings using the Board of Pharmacy’s regulation as a starting point” and authorized staff to make adjustments as needed. Roll‑call voting recorded unanimous support from present members.