Continuing Medical Education (CME)

Has commercial support for CME bottomed out?

Marc Iskowitz October 13, 2010

Industry support for continuing medical education (CME) has been waning the last two years, but some say the bottom may be in sight.

ACCME plan for limited transparency draws support

Marc Iskowitz April 30, 2010

Comments to a recent ACCME proposal formed a clear consensus: Accredited med-ed providers who break the rules should not be identified, unless changes in their accreditation status occur.

"Facebook for pharmacists" to offer news, CE and community

Matthew Arnold June 18, 2009

JMI Health is launching PharmQD, which aims to be something like a cross between LinkedIn and Facebook for pharmacy students, hospital and retail pharmacists, said JMI SVP, eproducts Tina Pang Mayer (pictured).

Coalition flags ACCME plans

Matthew Arnold May 22, 2009

The Coalition for Healthcare Communication said it doesn't oppose ACCME's proposal to set up an independent entity for disbursal of CME funding - provided that it's not the only game in town and CME providers don't have to pay for it.

AMA ethics group rethinks CME funding

Matthew Arnold May 14, 2009

A pair of American Medical Association committee reports urges that industry-funded CME be put on a tighter leash, but they're a far cry from the ban on commercial support called for by the AMA's Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs a year ago.

WebMD to launch Medscape iPhone app

Ben Comer May 07, 2009

WebMD hopes to extend its professional network reach with the launch of a Medscape iPhone application. The app will become available during the last week of May, or in early June, according to a WebMD spokesperson.

IOM: quit gifts, reps, samples

Matthew Arnold April 28, 2009

Physicians and medical institutions should shun gifts, reps, samples and ghostwriting, said the Institute of Medicine's conflict of interest committee in its full recommendations.

ACCME weighs pharma-free labeling

Matthew Arnold April 23, 2009

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education is considering offering an accreditation flagging CME as being free of drug and device industry support -- a kind of Good Housekeeping Seal for CME.

ACCME won't ban industry funding of CME

Matthew Arnold April 10, 2009

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education said that for the time being, it won't ban commercial support of CME.

Associations should cut ties with pharma, says JAMA

Matthew Arnold March 31, 2009

The Journal of the American Medical Association is calling for professional medical associations to sever all ties with the drug industry--with exception to journal advertising and exhibit hall fees, of course.

APA to phase out pharma-sponsored CME, dinners

Ben Comer March 26, 2009

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) will put an end to industry-sponsored continuing medical education (CME) and meals served during its annual meetings, the association said Wednesday.

GSK to expand clinical trial disclosures

Matthew Arnold March 26, 2009

GlaxoSmithKline said it will broaden its transparency policies to include greater disclosure of its clinical research and the physicians the company works with on clinical trials.

Iowa Senate passes harsh gifts, data ban bill

Matthew Arnold March 20, 2009

Iowa's state Senate passed a healthcare bill containing some of the toughest restrictions on drug company contacts with physicians yet.

Massachusetts antes up with tough transparency law

Matthew Arnold March 12, 2009

Massachusetts passed regulation governing drug and device company sales and marketing that the state's deputy counsel boasted is "the most stringent of the existing state laws" and "sets PhRMA and AdvaMed codes as the floor."

MedPAC calls for reporting of samples

Matthew Arnold March 03, 2009

An influential advisory board urged Congress to impose far-reaching transparency rules on payments to healthcare professionals and organizations interacting with the drug industry--including reporting samples, in part to aid counterdetailing efforts.

Medtronic vows public disclosure of payments to docs

Matthew Arnold February 24, 2009

Medtronic said it will disclose payments to US physicians starting in 2011.

BIO punts on PhRMA physician interaction code

Matthew Arnold February 20, 2009

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) issued a statement calling on member companies to develop their own codes of conduct on interaction with physicians, but again stopped short of adopting the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals.

Pfizer hops on transparency bandwagon with disclosures

Matthew Arnold February 09, 2009

Following the lead of peers like Lilly and GSK, Pfizer announced plans to publicly disclose payments to US physicians, healthcare professionals and clinical investigators in excess of $500 per year, along with non-monetary items worth more than $25.

Sunshine bill is back with sharper teeth

Matthew Arnold January 22, 2009

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) reintroduced their Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which would require that manufacturers and group purchasing organizations disclose payments to physicians of $100 or more.

Congressional pharma foes square off over committee gig

Matthew Arnold November 07, 2008

Fight! Fight! Two leading congressional critics of the pharma industry—Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and John Dingell (D-MI)—are at odds over a committee chairmanship.

Effort seeks to educate faculty on promotional vs. certified CME

Matthew Arnold October 27, 2008

A new training effort aims to help medical education faculty distinguish between certified and promotional CME.

Lilly settlement with states demands even greater transparency

Matthew Arnold October 09, 2008

Eli Lilly & Co.'s $62 million settlement with 32 states and the District of Columbia over off-label Zyprexa marketing comes with an agreement requiring, among other things, that the company furnish those state AGs with a list of all healthcare professionals paid more than $100 for promotional speaking and consulting in the US.

Minnesota med school weighing gift and grants ban

Matthew Arnold October 06, 2008

The University of Minnesota Medical School is weighing a tough ban on gifts to physicians and requiring docs to publicly disclose all relationships with drug companies, according to a University newspaper.

Wanted: smarter reps, says survey

Matthew Arnold September 29, 2008

A snap survey of physicians found a yearning for smarter sales reps who know their disease states back and forth and can use clinical studies in their details.

Lilly to post registry of physician payments

Matthew Arnold September 24, 2008

Lilly announced plans to broaden its transparency efforts to include publicly disclosing payments to US physicians as well as grants.

Customized journal offers à la carte content

Matthew Arnold September 23, 2008

Sequence Medical is launching what it claims to be the first-ever individually customizable medical journal in the US.

ACCME proposals imperil CME, critics say

Matthew Arnold September 15, 2008

As ACCME's public comment period on a proposed restructuring of the CME funding structure drew to a close, industry groups blasted the accrediting body for what they see as an overreaction imperiling medical education.

ACCME data show commercial support for CME flat in 2007

Matthew Arnold September 09, 2008

Total commercial support of accredited CME scarcely budged in 2007, rising 1% to $1.2 billion, while the share of commercial support going to publishing and education companies declined 4.2% to $594 million, according to the ACCME's annual report.