LETTER OF AGREEMENT FOR COMMERCIAL SUPPORT OF A CONTINUING EDUCATION ACTIVITY
VCU School of Dentistry - Office of Continuing Education
521 N. 11th St, Ste 101A, Box 980566, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0566
Tel: 804.828.0869 Email: dentistryce@vcu.edu Website:
go.vcu.edu/dentistryce
This document is a letter of agreement involving the VCU School of Dentistry Office of Continuing Education (the accredited sponsor), a commercial interest providing support to the educational activity identified below, plus any educational partners involved in the planning and implementation of this activity:
CONDITIONS
INDEPENDENCE: The accredited sponsor of CE (sponsor), and the commercial entity providing support to the educational activity (commercial interest), and the educational partner (partner) agree that:
1) the CE activity is for scientific or educational purposes, and not for the purpose of promoting any product,
2) any discussion of the commercial interest's product(s) will be objective, balanced, and scientifically rigorous, and
3) the sponsor retains and is responsible for exercising control over the planning of the activity content, including the selection of presenters and moderators.
It is understood by all parties that it is the responsibility of the sponsor to make an independent judgment as to the most appropriate presenters, and to select presenters representing an appropriate diversity of legitimate medical opinion on the topic under discussion when the educational format permits (e.g., panel or series of speakers).
SPEAKERS: It is understood by all parties that the commercial interest agrees not to direct or influence the content of the program, and agrees to play no role in the selection of presenters and moderators other than responding to sponsor requests for suggestions of presenters or sources of possible presenters.
It is understood by all parties that all responses to a sponsor's request for suggested presenters must:
1) be written or confirmed in writing,
2) include the names of more than one suggested presenter where reasonably possible (e.g., there is more than one known expert in a particular area),
3) include a description of each suggested presenter's qualifications, and
4) disclose all known significant financial and other relationships between the commercial interest and presenter.
It is understood by all parties that the sponsor agrees to seek suggestions for presenters from sources other than the commercial interest.
OBJECTIVITY: All parties agree that there will be no advertisements for the commercial interest's products in any materials disseminated in the CE activity room (e.g., presentations by sales representatives or promotional exhibits in the same room as the educational activity.) Commercial interest product information may be disseminated in an area that is designed for general exhibits, which may include exhibits from different companies marketing alternative or competing therapies.
All parties understand that limited technical assistance provided by the commercial interest will not include scripting, targeting of points for emphasis, or other activities designed to influence the content of the program. This does not preclude the commercial interest from preparing slides or audio-visual materials (such as videotapes, tables or figures published in scientific reports) at the request of the sponsor.
All parties understand that when a product marketed by the commercial interest, or a competing product, is to be the subject of substantial discussion, it is the responsibility of the sponsor to take steps to help assure that:
1) the data will be objectively selected and presented,
2) both favorable and unfavorable information about the product will be fairly represented, and
3) there is a balanced discussion of the prevailing body of scientific information on the product, and/or reasonable, alternative treatment options.
DISCLOSURE: All parties agree that it is the responsibility of the sponsor to disclose to participants prior to the beginning of the activity:
1) any speaker suggested by the commercial interest,
2) the commercial interest's funding of the activity, and
3) any significant relationship between the sponsor and the commercial interest, and
4) any significant relationship between individual speakers or moderators and the commercial interest (e.g., speaker, employee, grant recipient, owner of significant interest or stock.)
It is understood that it is the responsibility of the sponsor to take steps to assure that there is meaningful disclosure of any limitation on information presented (e.g., data that represents ongoing research, interim analysis, preliminary data or unsupported opinion.)
It is understood that if unapproved (unlabeled) uses are discussed, it is the responsibility of the sponsor to require that presenters disclose that the product is not approved in the United States for the use under discussion.
