Contact Committee Leaders Today to Shape Industry Position And Develop Individual Responses to Proposals That Would Compromise Patient Care

As the controversy around the commercial support of CME continues, ACCME is considering significant policy changes that could dramatically change industry support of both certified and promotional education programs. For example, one recent proposal would prohibit faculty thought leaders from participating in both CME and promotional programs.

See ACCME's posted Call for Comment at: http://www.accme.org/dir_docs/doc_upload/d64b68f6-9525-43af-9074-719f92ad7c97_uploaddocument.pdf

ACCME is also soliciting comments from interested parties on proposals for an outright ban on commercial funding for CME.

It has posted this Call for Comment on its web site at: http://www.accme.org/dir_docs/doc_upload/d6b96a50-084c-485b-b71a-6b405b9c07d8_uploaddocument.pdf

In an effort to prevent policy changes that would harm patients and the medical education enterprise, the Coalition is planning a major comment and encouraging multiple individual and company responses by the Sept. 12th deadline.

We seek data and information that will support our comments as well as volunteers to help craft the Coalition comment. Please participate in the Coalition effort and support individual comments by your company or yourself. The Coalition comment would be strengthened by position statements supported by compelling data and examples of how commercially funded programs advance clinical knowledge in critical areas and advance patient care.

Please contact:

Brad Bednarz bbednarz@visiblep.com
Marty Cearnal mcearnal@jobson.com
Mark Schaffer mark.schaffer@ppscme.com

The public debate on these issues has reached a critical juncture and your participation can help shape the debate. Help support our industry by insuring that our Nation's clinicians and patients are empowered with the latest developments in medical information.

Thank you

John Kamp
Executive Director
Coalition for Healthcare Communication