Stanford limits pharmaceutical funding for medical education: CME

Stanford limits pharmaceutical financing of continuing medical education in the wake of Senator Charles Grassley's inquiries regarding pharmaceutical funded classes where the drug maker might make more sales as a result.

From the NYTimes:

"In an e-mail statement on Monday, Senator Grassley said, “Reforms based on transparency can foster accountability and build confidence in medical education and, in turn, the practice of medicine.”

Since Senator Grassley began his investigation, a growing number of drug makers have begun to make public their lists of educational grant recipients, and Pfizer recently announced that it would no longer directly support commercial medical education companies, which deliver many of the classes that doctors attend and may be more susceptible to industry influence than ones based at medical schools.

Doctors have grown accustomed to taking educational classes free — often with a lunch included. Separating commercial influences from doctor education might require doctors to pay their own way, which some doctors have said they would resist."

Addendum:

For more about this topic and CME be sure to read Dr.Daniel Carlat's blog.