Healthy Skepticism Library item: 10157

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Some Medical Educators Skirt New Rules
Integrity in Science Watch 2007 May 21
http://cspinet.org/integrity/watch/200705211.html#2

Full text:

A recently released Senate Finance Committee investigation found that nearly one-fourth of physician education seminars do not follow the new rules designed to limit drug industry influence over continuing medical education. The non-profit Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) in 2004 adopted new guidelines to limit the drug industry’s influence over the content of classes after Warner-Lambert (now part of Pfizer) paid $430 million to settle claims that it illegally promoted the off-label use of Neurontin. The company’s education grants were a major part of the scheme.

The Senate investigators, after surveying 76 continuing medical education (CME) providers and 23 drug companies late last year, found 18 providers which violated ACCME rules. Some CME providers had multiple violations, including promotion of the sponsoring company’s products but the exclusion of other firms’ products; allowing company influence over where and how many presentations were scheduled using its grant; and illegally influencing the selection of faculty for the education activity. Pharmaceutical and medical device firms contributed about half of the $2.25 billion spent on CME in 2005. Physicians are required by most states to take CME classes to maintain their licenses.