California requires veterinarians to complete antimicrobial stewardship continuing education for license renewal. Here’s a practical breakdown of the requirement and how to meet it.
The Requirement
The California Veterinary Medical Board mandates one hour of antimicrobial stewardship CE as part of license renewal. Key details:
- Duration: Minimum 1 hour
- Topic: Antimicrobial stewardship protocols and resistance prevention
- Approval: Must be RACE-approved
- Timing: Required each renewal cycle
What Qualifies
The CE must specifically address antimicrobial stewardship. General pharmacology courses typically don’t satisfy the requirement. RACE approval is required; industry-sponsored training may or may not qualify depending on accreditation status.
Content areas that meet the requirement include:
Diagnostic decision-making
- Culture vs. empirical treatment decisions
- Rapid diagnostic options
- Cost-effective testing approaches
Prescribing protocols
- First-line vs. reserved antimicrobial selection
- Dose optimization
- Treatment duration guidelines
Practice-level implementation
- Staff training approaches
- Client communication
- Documentation practices
Resistance monitoring
- Local resistance patterns
- Surveillance data interpretation
- Protocol adjustments based on trends
Selecting a Course
Factors to consider when choosing antimicrobial stewardship CE:
Instructor credentials: Courses taught by board-certified specialists (DACVIM, DACVCP) typically cover current clinical applications.
Format: Live courses allow questions about specific cases and local resistance patterns.
Sponsorship: Independent education avoids potential commercial bias. Check whether content is industry-sponsored.
Practical focus: Courses that provide implementable protocols, checklists, or guidelines offer immediate practice application.
Current content: AMR data changes frequently. Recent course updates reflect the latest surveillance findings.
Timeline Considerations
Stewardship CE is available year-round through various providers. Completing the requirement early in the renewal cycle allows time to:
- Compare course options
- Implement learned protocols before the next renewal
- Address any questions about credit acceptance with the board
Related California CE Context
California’s antimicrobial stewardship requirement reflects broader trends in veterinary regulation. Several states have implemented or are considering similar requirements as antimicrobial resistance continues to affect both veterinary and human medicine.
The requirement applies alongside California’s other CE mandates. Veterinarians can verify their specific renewal requirements and deadlines through the California Veterinary Medical Board.
VetOnIt CE offers RACE-approved antimicrobial stewardship courses. View available courses at events.vetonitce.org/on-demand.