Pharma and CME: View from the US
In the United States, commercial support for continuing medical education has grown steadily over the past decade. In 2006 it provided more than half, about $1.5bn (£0.75bn, 0.95bn) or 60%, of the income for educational programmes doctors must take to maintain their medical licences. Evidence shows that commercial support distorts what doctors learn.
In 2007 the Josiah Macy, Jr conference on Continuing Education in the Health Professions: Improving Healthcare Through Lifelong Learning (www.josiahmacyfoundation.org) recommended ethat organisations providing accredited continuing education should not receive commercial support from drug or medical device companies.
BMJ 2008;337:a1023 (http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/aug14_1/a1023?eaf)