VCOM Institutional Policy and Procedure Manual

VCOM Policy and Procedure

Policy #U015

Development Office for the purpose of general CME. This ensures the planning of a VCOM-sponsored program without program content influence. The VCOM Continuing Medical Education Office, in conjunction with the President, will have sole discretion on how the funds are to be used. Any requests for industry support for activity must be coordinated and overseen by the College’s Continuing Medical Education Office with final approval by the President to assure that the programs are in compliance with College and AOA policy. 5.5 Attendance of Industry-sponsored Educational Events VCOM personnel are strongly discouraged against attending marketing events sponsored by industry. No gifts may be accepted and no reimbursement for travel or other costs is permitted in attending any industry marketing event. If VCOM personnel are interested in attending a non-accredited, industry-sponsored event, he/she must formally request permission from his/her Associate Dean. The Associate Dean will notify the President who will review the request. VCOM employees and students should carefully evaluate the content of these programs before attending. 5.6 Industry-Sponsored Fellowships VCOM does not allow industry to support clinical fellowships. However, competitive grant applications and fellowship applications for scientific research training do not fall under this policy and are allowed. Industry-sponsored competitive grants will be managed by VCOM’s Office of Research Administration. 5.7 Ghostwriting and Honorary Authorship The American Medical Writers Association defines “ghostwriting” as assisting in presenting an author’s work without being acknowledged. Ghostwriting often encompassing the following ethically questionable practices: “ghost authoring,” making substantial contributions without being identified as an author; and “guest authoring,” being named as an author without having made substantial contributions to the work. All VCOM personnel (faculty, staff, students and trainees) must not allow their professional presentations and publications of any kind, written or oral, to be prepared by a ghostwriter. Industry sponsors or investigators, medical writers and technical experts who contribute to presentations and publications on which VCOM personnel appear as authors must also be listed as contributors or authors, and their industry affiliations must be disclosed in the published document. VCOM follows the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors’ Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals in regards to ghostwriting and disclosure of authorship and contributorship. 5.8 Consulting and Advising Relationships Marketing VCOM personnel are prohibited from providing advice to industry or training sales and marketing representatives on selling, marketing or promoting a company’s products. VCOM personnel are also prohibited from participating in marketing activities on-line and from producing marketing and promotional materials for industry or for independent, for-profit third parties that produce such materials for industry.

VCOM Policy on Conflicts of Interest

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