BMJ  2003;326:1163 (31 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7400.1163

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Drug company sponsorship of education could be replaced at a fraction of its cost

Washington, DC

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The head of the main medical education accrediting body in the United States says that many commercially sponsored educational events could be run at a fraction of their cost, without unnecessary extras such as expensive lunches and entertainment.

The chief executive officer of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, Dr Murray Kopelow, said, "It's possible that a significant reduction in the amount spent on an educational event would not result in a significant loss in educational opportunity."

More than half of the $1.4bn (£0.9bn; €1.2bn) spent on accredited continuing medical education in the United States is now funded from commercial sources, including drug companies and device manufacturers, and concerns are growing that the boundaries between education and promotion have become blurred.

The powerful accreditation body is currently reviewing the national rules on commercial support, . . . [Full text of this article]

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