Tougher CME conflict-of-interest rules take effect

Fears that top continuing medical education speakers would be lost fade as the rollout begins.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. April 25, 2005.

Physicians attending continuing medical education events can expect to hear content that contains less commercial bias than previous sessions did, according to CME leaders.

As of May 1, new CME projects must comply with revised Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education standards that increase the level of scrutiny.

Physician faculty teaching at CME events and those involved in planning content will likely see the biggest changes. They'll no longer be able to disclose only their relevant financial relationships. Physicians will have to prove what they're doing is free from any commercial influence.

Lynn Smaha, MD, PhD, past president of the American Heart Assn., said tightening controls on commercial influence is vital. "Personally, as a clinical cardiologist, I want to practice evidence-based medicine, and I want to know the evidence is pure and not influenced by drug companies or device manufacturers."

It's also vital to the AHA, Dr. Smaha said. "The American Heart Assn. takes [ACCME standards] very seriously. It can never be seen as biased."

The new rules were announced in September 2004 and initially left CME providers fearful that they wouldn't be able to use top researchers as presenters because their research is often funded by pharmaceutical or device manufacturers.

"The gravest areas of concern flow from the fact that the ACCME has defined any financial relationship with a commercial interest as a conflict, and that conflict must be resolved," said Bruce Bellande, PhD, executive director of the Alliance for CME.