| Continuing Medical Education (CME) is the system | | | | a role in the training of physicians, and that |
| by which doctors in the UK keep their skills and | | | | doctors should take more responsibility for their |
| knowledge up to date throughout their | | | | own professional development. |
| professional careers. If new proposals currently | | | | Although the proposals were originally put forward |
| being considered come into effect, the system by | | | | by the RCP, the ABPI wishes to push ahead with |
| which CME is funded could undergo a sea change. | | | | them on its own terms, rather than have similar |
| Currently, many CME courses and events are | | | | arrangements forced upon its members in the |
| funded by the big pharmaceutical companies. | | | | future. |
| Critics of the present system feel that this gives | | | | Despite the VITA Agenda and the good intentions |
| such companies an undue influence over | | | | behind it, it is likely that relations between the |
| physicians and may affect the choice of drugs | | | | drug companies and the medical profession will |
| they prescribe to their patients. | | | | never be straightforward, simply because the two |
| If new proposals come to fruition, however, the | | | | groups have such different aims and agendas. |
| cost of CME could be split 50-50 between the | | | | In an extensive consultation on CME, the RCP |
| drug industry and the doctors themselves. | | | | gathered a wide spectrum of opinions from its |
| Currently, doctors are given an annual budget for | | | | members, with some believing that the influence |
| training from the NHS, and under these proposals, | | | | of the pharmaceutical companies on training |
| this is where the doctor's contribution would come | | | | produced an unhealthy influence on doctors, while |
| from. | | | | others thought that the involvement of the |
| The Association of the British Pharmaceutical | | | | industry was a positive factor which helped them |
| Industry (ABPI) put forward the proposals under | | | | find out about new products. |
| its "VITA Agenda", a new initiative that is intended | | | | ABPI is still in consultation with its members about |
| to promote trust and openness in the | | | | the new proposals, but, once this stage is |
| pharmaceutical industry, and to foster better | | | | completed, it will open up the issue to wider |
| relations between the industry, the medical | | | | debate beyond the industry. Any initiatives that |
| profession and the public as a whole. | | | | are agreed between its members will then |
| The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), one of the | | | | become integrated into the new ABPI code at |
| UK's leading medical organisations, has also stated | | | | some point in the coming year. |
| that pharmaceutical companies should play less of | | | | |