For Faculty Educators, Joint Sponsors and Commercial Interests who support CME

For many years health care professionals nationwide have had the opportunity to participate in CME activities sponsored by accredited providers. Many activities were made possible in part through the generous support of the private sector, primarily pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. As a result of this partnership, the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine CME Program (Case CME) has supplemented and enhanced its post-graduate curriculum by providing timely, pertinent and innovative educational activities that address identified knowledge and behavioral gaps with clinical strategies based on the latest scientific evidence.

Financial or in-kind support for CME activities sponsored by Case CME is governed primarily by the Standards for Commercial Support (SCS) of the Accreditation Council for CME (ACCME) and the Commercial Support Policy of Case CME. While state and federal policy external to the CME enterprise such as the Guidance from the Office of the Inspector General plays a significant role in how CME is regulated, for the purposes of managing commercial support of Case CME activities, compliance with the SCS and the Commercial Support Policy of Case CME is essential.

The following resources are available to assist you in better understanding the regulatory environment of commercial support for CME, and to provide advice about how to effectively and appropriately offer, receive and account for support from commercial interests. To successfully manage commercial support relationships requires the cooperation of all parties with the CME Program and their willingness to abide by all current regulations.

Standards for Commercial Support