Industry Partnerships and CME/CPD: Maintaining the Independence of Continuing Medical Education


The Caribbean College of Family Physicians (CCFP) recognizes the important contribution that pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations and other industry partners can make in supporting continuing professional development and access to high-quality medical education across the Caribbean.

CCFP welcomes responsible collaboration with industry while maintaining a fundamental principle: accredited Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Professional Development (CME/CPD) must remain independent of commercial promotion and influence.

The College therefore maintains a clear distinction between accredited education, commercial sponsorship and product promotion.


Independence of CCFP Educational Programmes

For CME/CPD activities organized by CCFP or its participating Chapters, responsibility for the accredited scientific programme must remain with the appropriate educational and accreditation structures of the College.

This includes:

  1. identifying the educational needs of physicians and other eligible healthcare professionals;
  2. determining appropriate themes and scientific topics;
  3. establishing learning goals and measurable learning objectives;
  4. selecting faculty and moderators on the basis of educational suitability;
  5. reviewing proposed content for scientific relevance, balance and independence; and
  6. completing the applicable CME/CPD review and accreditation process.

Commercial sponsorship does not provide a sponsor with control over accredited scientific content, faculty selection, learning objectives or educational outcomes.


Faculty Selection and Industry Recommendations

Industry partners may bring potential educational opportunities, emerging therapeutic areas or relevant clinical issues to the attention of CCFP.

However, the selection of faculty for an accredited CCFP CME/CPD programme must remain an independent educational decision.

A recommendation that a particular physician should present because of that physician’s favourable experience with a specific commercial product will not, by itself, constitute an appropriate basis for appointment to the accredited scientific faculty.

Where a physician is independently considered suitable for an accredited presentation, the content must satisfy the applicable standards for scientific balance, educational relevance and disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.


Sponsored and Promotional Sessions

CCFP recognizes that industry partners may wish to communicate information concerning their therapeutic areas, clinical experience or commercial products.

Where appropriate, sponsors may be allocated a clearly identified sponsored session that is separate from the accredited CME/CPD scientific programme.

Sponsored sessions may include clinical cases, therapeutic discussions or other relevant presentations. Where a session contains product-specific or promotional content, it should be clearly identified as a:

Sponsored/Promotional Session – Not for CME/CPD Credit

The duration of such a session will not be included in the calculation of accredited scientific educational time.

This separation allows participants to clearly distinguish independent accredited education from commercial or promotional communication.


Industry-Organized Educational Activities

Pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare organizations may approach CCFP or an appropriate CCFP Chapter regarding educational activities that they wish to organize and submit for CME/CPD consideration.

CCFP does not endorse pharmaceutical products, commercial brands, product launches or promotional meetings through the award of CME/CPD accreditation.

An activity submitted for CME/CPD consideration must therefore demonstrate a genuine educational purpose and address an identified clinical or professional learning need.

For example, an educational programme in hypertension might appropriately address:

  1. contemporary approaches to hypertension management;
  2. evidence-based selection and intensification of therapy;
  3. resistant or difficult-to-control hypertension;
  4. cardiovascular and renal risk reduction;
  5. hypertension associated with diabetes and other comorbidities;
  6. medication adherence and therapeutic inertia; or
  7. case-based clinical decision-making.

Case presentations can provide valuable educational opportunities when they are structured to promote clinical reasoning, examination of evidence and consideration of appropriate therapeutic approaches rather than the promotion of a particular commercial product.


Scientific Balance and Commercial Products

Content submitted for accredited CME/CPD should be evidence-based, scientifically balanced and educational rather than promotional.

A commercial product or brand should not become the focus of an accredited scientific presentation or receive inappropriate preferential emphasis.

Where discussion of a particular therapy is scientifically relevant, it should be presented within an appropriate clinical and evidence-based context, including consideration of relevant therapeutic alternatives where applicable.

Faculty must disclose relevant financial relationships and potential conflicts of interest in accordance with applicable CCFP and accreditation requirements.


CME/CPD Review and Accreditation

Activities submitted for CCFP CME/CPD consideration are subject to the applicable Secretariat and educational review procedures before accreditation is granted or an application is forwarded to the relevant accrediting authority.

Depending upon the jurisdiction and nature of the programme, this may include:

Educational Proposal/Submission → Secretariat Compliance Review → CME/CPD Committee Assessment → Accreditation Application/Decision → Post-Activity Compliance

Individual CCFP Chapters must also comply with applicable national regulatory and accreditation requirements within their respective jurisdictions.

Submission of an educational programme, provision of sponsorship or payment of applicable administrative or accreditation fees does not guarantee the award of CME/CPD credits.

Accreditation is dependent upon the educational activity satisfying the applicable scientific, ethical, administrative and accreditation requirements.


Partnership With Industry

CCFP values constructive relationships with organizations committed to improving healthcare and supporting the continuing professional development of family physicians throughout the Caribbean.

The purpose of these safeguards is not to discourage collaboration with industry. Rather, they ensure a clear, transparent and defensible boundary between independent medical education and commercial promotion.

This protects the integrity of the College, participating Chapters, faculty, sponsors and healthcare professionals while maintaining confidence in the CME/CPD accreditation process.

Organizations interested in supporting a CCFP educational activity or submitting a programme for CME/CPD consideration are encouraged to contact the CCFP Secretariat or the relevant CCFP Chapter Secretariat for guidance before finalizing the educational programme.