Financial support of continuing medical education.

摘要

Although commercial support for CME increases available funds, it may promote sales of new medications, including their off-label use, notwithstanding the various measures to prevent conflict of interest and commercial bias.The CME activities supported by industry are often free or subsidized for physicians. Patients and payers, however, may ultimately pay the bill.Physicians who are invited to speak at industry-supported CME events or to organize them may have extensive financial relationships with companies, and pharmaceutical companies may have paid them to give other presentations.6 There may be overlap between the material presented at promotional events such as dinner lectures and satellite symposia and CME courses.2 Industry sponsorship also may lead to overemphasis on medicines, medical devices, and diagnostic tests, thereby biasing "the overall curriculum of topics,"5 regardless of their importance to improving care.