We have started to see a new type of contract being proffered by the
pharmaceutical/biotech industry.  It is to support Continuing Medical Education
(CME) programs, primarily at off-campus sites.  The contracts, between a
company and medical center. always include the following features:

1)  Requirement for assurance that all faculty either have no financially based
conflict of interest with the sponsor, or that COIs are disclosed during
the CME presentations.

2)  Requirement for assurance that there will be a "balanced" discussion of any
therapies during the presentations, i.e., that if the faculty talk about the
sponsor's drug, they discuss competing therapies; and vice versa.

3)  That a subcontract to a conference management company be included in the
budget.

4)  That financial reporting be available upon request.

Are these type of agreements new, or has UCHC just been "discovered"?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from other medical centers that have
accredited CME programs.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot!  There's another feature that keeps popping up, the
sponsors are reluctant to pay IDC on these contracts.

Have you seen these animals?  Have you gotten IDC?  What types of rates have
you been charging?  What's your rationale?

Regards, Len

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Leonard P. Paplauskas    Assistant Vice President for Research     |
203-679-3173             University of Connecticut Health Center   |
FAX 679-2670             Farmington, CT   06030-5355               |
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xxxxxx@sun.uchc.edu                                            |
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