Commercial Support Information

COMMERCIAL SUPPORT

The MMS strictly adheres to the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support^SM.  Consequently, when applying for commercial support, you must inform representatives from commercial supporters of the following:

1. All financial support for the activity must be in the form of educational grants.
   
2. The MMS must be apprised of all educational grants and the way in which they have been disseminated.  When there is commercial support, there must be a written agreement that:
   
   • itemizes how the commercial support will be used in the development and presentation of the CME activity
   • itemizes the organizations involved in the activity (e.g., joint providers, education partners, managers)
   • specifies the organizational name of the commercial interest(s) that supplied the funds
   • specifies what funds or in-kind services will be given by the commercial supporter to support the provider's activity
   • is signed by the commercial interest AND the MMS PRIOR to the activity taking place
   
3. The planner or joint provider representative is responsible for making sure the MMS reviews, approves, and signs the grant agreement prior to the activity.
   
4.  Educational grants will not be used to pay for lodging, registration fees, honoraria or personal expenses for non-faculty attendees.
   
5. The planner or joint provider representative must provide representatives from commercial supporters with a copy of the aforementioned ACCME Standards for Commercial Support^SM, and all commercial supporters must be in agreement and compliance with said standards.
   
6. Commercial support will be acknowledged in printed announcements and materials.  Reference will not be made to specific products manufactured or provided by the commercial supporter.
   
7. No commercial promotional materials will be displayed or distributed in the same room immediately before, during, or immediately after an educational activity certified for credit.
   
8. Representatives of commercial supporters may attend the CME activity, but may not engage in sales activities while in the room where the activity takes place.
   
9. The content of slides and reference materials is the responsibility of faculty and must not demonstrate bias to a trademark product.  Company logos will only be allowed on introductory slides, not on slides containing content. In keeping with the current ACCME Standards for Commercial Support^SM of CME, it is our practice to review the content of presentations prior to each activity to ensure balance and unbiased content.  The MMS requires that joint providers submit an electronic version of each speaker's presentation to the MMS two weeks prior to activity date if the MMS determines that a potential conflict of interest is indicated.
   
10. Commercial supporters may not require that they be involved in the preparation of educational materials as a condition of their financial support.
    
11. Commercial supporters are to be advised of the distribution of their grant following the execution of the CME activity.

For questions regarding this policty, please contact the MMS Department of Continuing Education at 800-322-2303, x7306.