Should We Eliminate Pharmaceutical Funding of CME?

An interesting article on Medscape asks Should We Eliminate Pharmaceutical Funding of CME?  (PDF).  Four doctors opine in this roundtable discussion.

Robert W. Donnell, MD
It would be a mistake to end industry support of accredited CME. A ban would restrict doctors' choices. Pharmaceutical companies would divert CME funds to purely promotional materials, diminishing the overall quality of information to which doctors are exposed. Proponents of a ban have failed to sustain the burden of proof that benefits would outweigh the unintended consequences.

Pennie Marchetti, MD
It's time for us to acknowledge our susceptibility to industry influence. We may see ourselves as wise sophisticates who are too clever to be tricked by marketing ploys, but everyone else sees us as cheap fools.

Bradley P. Fox, MD
My hope is that we continue to push ourselves to practice the most cost-effective, evidence-based medicine and that we strive to make our continuing professional development just that -- professional development, not just medical education. Let everyone and anyone pay for it, but be certain to separate those who produce it from those who support it in order to keep the product clean and free of bias.

Robert M. Centor, MD
Externally funded CME can provide education, but I submit that by its nature, the topics are biased. I hope for unbiased subject selection. Therefore, I would like to ban external funding for CME.

Definitely an interesting debate.  I suspect it cannot work to ban sponsored CME; it is too expensive to produce so there has to be some sort of sponsorship.  But greater transparency in who is funding CME and what their interests are would be helpful, and would lead to less abuse.

Comments

[Donald Powers, MD]

In response to Rober Centor's, MD comments, please note a pharmaceutical company never sponsors a CME conference. A pharmaceutical company may give support but the learning objectives, topic and the selection of presenters are all done by the CME office. This funding is absolutely necessary if we are to bring in top authorities from far distances.

Please get it right - do not use the word pharmaceutical sponsoring. This is not what occurs.

Donald Powers, MD
Director, Continuing Medical Education
Delaware County Memorial Hospital