The Educational and Research Foundation for the AAFPRS (AAFPRS Foundation), in compliance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education’s “Standards for Commercial Support of Continuing Medical Education,” has adopted the following policy statements regarding faculty, presenters and planning committee members’ relationships involving commercial interests.
- All tenets of the American Medical Association’s opinion on “Gifts to Physicians from Industry” must be followed not only by the Society but by participants in sponsored CME activities.
- Faculty and planners may not accept payment or reimbursement (including travel funds, airline tickets, hotel stays, or meals) from any commercial interest for their role in an AAFPRS Foundation activity.
- Presentations must give a balance view of all therapeutic options. Use of generic names will contribute to this impartiality. If trade names are used, those of several companies should be used rather than that of a single company.
- When an unlabeled use of a commercial product, or an investigational use not yet approved for any purpose is discussed during an educational activity, AAFPRS Foundation requires the faculty/presenter to disclose that the product is not labeled for the use under discussion or that the product is still investigational.
- All clinical recommendations must be based on evidence that is accepted within the profession as adequate justification for their indications and contraindications in the care of patients. All scientific research referred to, reported, or used to support or justify a patient care recommendation must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection and analysis.
- It is recognized that conflicts of interest can arise in many different situations and instances. There should be full disclosure of the facts of the presenters' financial relationship with a commercial interest involved in the topic that will be discussed. AAFPRS Foundation requires presenters, faculty members and planners to complete a form with disclosure information no later than 2 months in advance of an accredited activity. If no disclosure is provided, the individual will be recused from the role. Disclosures will be published to learners in advance of the CME activity. Additionally, the AAFPRS will manage all conflicts in advance of presentation to ensure that presentations are balanced and unbiased.
- The AAFPRS Foundation will follow the ACCME’s expectation that no employees or owners of commercial interests will be involved as planners/faculty/presenters of a CME accredited activity. The only exception will be in rare instances where there is an overwhelmingly important reason which will have an immediate impact on patient care, AND the circumstance meets the three special-use case exceptions outlined by the ACCME, AND the circumstance has been carefully vetted and approved by the CME Committee and the AAFPRS Foundation Board. In this instance, the AAFPRS Foundation will limit that person’s participation in the accredited CME activity and will ensure the content undergoes rigorous peer review in advance.
- All presenters must include a disclosure slide, listing their financial relationships with commercial interests (or stating that there is nothing to disclose.)
Updated and approved by the AAFPRS Foundation Board April 3, 2017