Wednesday, October 14, 2009

NAAMECC endorses conduct of code for commercially supported CME

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        CONTACT: Anna Trott
October 13, 2009                                            NAAMECC: 205-824-7612

NAAMECC ENDORSES CONDUCT CODE FOR COMMERCIALLY SUPPORTED CME

In support of management best practices for certified continuing medical education (CME) activities developed with educational grant support provided by pharmaceutical and other company grant funding, the North American Association of Medical Education and Communication Companies (NAAMECC) today endorsed a new Code of Conduct for Commercially Supported CME.

The new Code was developed by a collection of volunteers with input from accredited and non-accredited CME providers, multiple funding organizations, and pro-bono legal counsel. Officially titled the “Code of Conduct for Commercially Supported CME,” the document addresses appropriate interactions and management practices when commercial interests provide CME grant funding, including:
•    Independence: Providers and commercial interests are reminded to follow all relevant rules, regulations and guidelines, including those promulgated by the ACCME, FDA, and Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. In addition to supporting full separation of CME grant-making functions from sales and marketing functions within commercial organizations, the Code goes further to state “Providers should not engage in discussions with supporters’ marketing and sales personnel regarding educational priorities, strategies, or grants.”
•    Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosure and Resolution: Referencing several professional organizations and societies that have outlined specific COI recommendations, the Code states “It is not practical nor realistic to entirely prevent conflict of interest; rather it should be aggressively identified, disclosed, and resolved.”
•    Bias: To promote quality control, the Code advises all accredited and non-accredited education providers to “have mechanisms in place to identify potentially biased content and to ensure that all patient care recommendations are evidence based and in the best interests of the public.”
•    Financial Policies: The Code addresses budgeting, payment terms, and appropriate use of funds, including the development and use of Fair Market Value (FMV) calculations for “all expenses including faculty honoraria and include estimates of these costs at FMV in all budgets.” 
In endorsing the Code of Conduct for Commercially Supported CME, the NAAMECC Board encouraged other organizations dedicated to CME best practices to review and endorse the Code for the benefit of their members and affiliates.

About NAAMECC:
NAAMECC is the leading advocacy and education organization for medical education companies and their educational partners. NAAMECC provides member companies and the medical education professionals they employ with cutting-edge information and expert contacts to achieve success in CME.

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