Physician Participation in Continuing Professional Development

Professional Standards Regarding Physician Participation in Continuing Professional Development

Preamble

The primary purpose of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities is to address the educational needs of physicians in order to improve the health care provided to patients. The interests of industry always include a profit motive, which may influence the delivery of CPD.

This standard identifies the responsibilities of physicians involved in organizing, presenting or attending a continuing medical education event.

Professional Standard(s)

1. Physicians must ensure the scientific validity, objectivity and completeness of any information they present at a CPD event.
2. Physicians must disclose where any presentation materials they use have been developed by industry.
3. Physicians must not present information directly or indirectly for industry that intentionally promotes a product for the purpose of enhancing the sale of that product.
4. Any compensation, including gifts, received by a physician for services provided at or in support of a CPD event, must be reasonable and reflect time spent by the physician in providing services. Payments may also include reimbursements for reasonable expenses.
5. Any compensation, including gifts, received by a physician for membership or participation on advisory boards for industry must be reasonable and reflect time spent by the physician in providing the service. Payments may also include reimbursements for reasonable expenses.
6. Physicians must not accept payment, gifts or reimbursement for reasonable expenses from industry solely for attending CPD events.

Definitions

Industry refers to the full range of commercial enterprises associated with health care including but not limited to, commercial providers of goods and services to physicians; the pharmaceutical industry; the biotechnical industry; the medical device industry; and similar commercial enterprises related to clinical practice, education and research.