Healthy Skepticism Library item: 13149

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: Journal Article

Steinbrook R.
Financial Support of Continuing Medical Education
JAMA 2008 Mar 5; 299:(9):1060-1062
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/299/9/1060

Abstract:

Continuing medical education (CME) is a multibillion-dollar industry. In 2006, the CME providers accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) had a total income of $2.38 billion.1 In 1998, the income was $889 million, and most had come from the registration fees of participants or sponsoring organizations. Since 2003, however, most of the income for CME providers has come from industry…

…Continuing medical education has become so heavily dependent on support from pharmaceutical and medical device companies that the medical profession may have lost control over its own continuing education.4 Commercial funding may inherently distort education and practice to the detriment of physicians and patients, regardless of the various safeguards to protect the integrity of the enterprise. Problems associated with commercial support of CME, current safeguards, and other approaches to funding are discussed …