UPDATED GUIDELINES TO PHARMACEUTICAL & OTHER COMPANIES

RE:  CERTIFICATION/COLLABORATING/ORGANIZING OF CONTINUINING MEDICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES/MEETINGS

The function of the College when it accredits and seeks Continuing Medical Education (CME) on behalf of a pharmaceutical company or other organization is to ensure the quality and integrity of the educational content provided to healthcare professionals. Here’s how it typically works:

Accreditation: The College acts as an accrediting body that evaluates and approves CME activities offered by pharmaceutical companies or other organizations. The College sets standards and criteria that these activities must meet to ensure they adhere to best practices, scientific rigor, and educational effectiveness. This process involves reviewing the content, format, faculty qualifications, and instructional methods employed in the CME program.

Quality Assurance: By accrediting CME activities, the College helps ensure that healthcare professionals receive educational content that is accurate, up-to-date, and relevant to their clinical practice. The College verifies that the content is based on scientific evidence and free from any bias or promotional influence from the pharmaceutical company or organization providing the activity.

Independence: The College plays a crucial role in maintaining the independence and integrity of the CME process. It ensures that the accredited activities are designed to meet the educational needs of healthcare professionals rather than being promotional or biased towards specific products or services. This independence is essential for preserving the trust of healthcare professionals and safeguarding the credibility of the CME programs.

Oversight: The College may also monitor and evaluate the implementation of accredited CME activities to ensure they comply with the established standards. This oversight includes collecting feedback from participants, evaluating the effectiveness of the educational content, and identifying areas for improvement.

By accrediting and seeking CME on behalf of pharmaceutical companies or other organizations, the College plays a vital role in promoting continuous professional development among healthcare professionals while ensuring the educational content meets high standards of quality, independence, and scientific integrity.

The CCFPJC is a member of the NCCME  https://jamaicamedicalcouncil.org/nccme/ which is approved by the Medical Council of Jamaica and is approved to collaborate or co-organize medical meetings with local and international pharmaceutical companies requiring accreditation for Medical meetings.

Applications for accreditation/certification of CME meetings can be obtained through the CCFPJC. For more information on collaborating with us, please contact the Secretariat.

 

The Summary guidelines are outlined below.

  • Contact must be made with/discussions held with the Association’s President or Nominee advising him/her of proposed meeting to:- review of the meeting agenda,  rational for meeting,  and outline of the presenter(s) presentation which highlights the objective of the presentation. The Outline must set out:- 1. The Rationale; 2. Aim; 3. Objective; 4. Method and Evaluation. – Presentation should be of practical relevance and benefits to the Physicians, and not overtly biased to the Pharmaceutical products.
  • After discussion/review with association’s President/Nominee:
    1. Pharmaceutical company/body must pay the relevant Medical Council of Jamaica fee by direct deposit to National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited, Cross Roads Branch, J$ Savings Account #234117343.
    2. Pharmaceutical company must prepare and submit applications to the Secretariat in a timely manner prior to the event. A minimum timeframe of six (6) weeks is required (but flexibility may be exercised depending on the exigencies of the situation). Applications submitted one/two/three (1/2/3) day(s) prior to a proposed event, will attract an additional administrative cost.
  • Pharmaceutical company must prepare meeting agenda and submit together with  application (using the link on this website – below),  proof of payment of MCJ fee of J$7,500.00/per day for CME request for 0-3:50:00 hours and J$15,000/per day for CMEs for 4:00:00 and up hours, invitation and presenter(s) bio data/CV (overseas speakers) and the meeting outline.  No products or  drug should be displayed on the Agenda. APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE SUBMITTED TO MCJ WITHOUT PROOF OF PAYMENT OF MCJ’S APPLICABLE FEE.

           Invitations should display the name or logo of the Association as well as the pharmaceutical company or body requesting credits for the event or meeting.

  • Invitation(s) should not have the name of any drug displayed thereon and if possible should carry the logo of the certifying Association and the Pharmaceutical company.
  • It is recommended that approved agenda be printed and handed out (if physical meeting)/circulated (if webinar).
  • A log of attendees with contact details and pre & post-test scores must be submitted to the Secretariat.
  • CME Certificates are to be designed in conjunction with the organizing Association and should not have the name of any drug displayed thereon.
  • Printing/distribution of the Certificates is the responsibility of the co-organizing pharmaceutical company.
  • Certificates must not be not be issued without confirmation from the Secretariat that Credits have been confirmed by MCJ

Certificates should display the following information:

(a) Name and Logo of the Pharmaceutical Company;

(b)  Name and  Logo of the Certifying Association and the MCJ/NCCME;

(c) Attendees’ name.

(d) Venue and date of Meeting;

(e) Topic(s) Presented

(f) Presenter(s) name(s)

(g) CME Hours Approved by: MCJ National Council on Continuing Medical Education:

(h)  CME Hours Requested by: (Name of Certifying Association)

(j) Signature of College President or Representative

(k) No. of Hours Approved

  • It is mandatory that Pre-test and post-tests are set by each Presenter and must be administered at the start and end of the meeting. Attendees must complete the pre and post-tests in order to receive certificates of attendance.
  • It is recommended that an Executive of the Association or their nominee be invited to be in attendance at the meeting to either, welcome, give opening remarks, moderate or give vote of thanks, if possible. Please indicate at the time of discussion of the meeting with the association’s president/nominee how/if he/she will facilitate at the event.
  • Timing of events/meetings should avoid clashes with events of Council Members on the Medical Association of Jamaica annual Calendar.

For local meeting accreditation (Jamaica only), Administrative fee is US$200 or J$ equivalent, per day  and is due on presentation of the Association’s invoice to the pharmaceutical company/other body. For Regional & Jamaica Accreditation the administrative fee is US$300 or J$ equivalent per day. 

Advisory of Approved CME hours will be sent by email to the pharmaceutical company representative requesting the certification of the meeting. If we are required to email certificates on your behalf and you require a report /confirmation that certs were emailed, please indicate when requesting meeting accreditation/collaboration, by sending a follow-up email to your online application.

For local meeting accreditation (Jamaica only), Administrative fee is US$200 or J$ equivalent, per day  and is due on presentation of the Association’s invoice to the pharmaceutical company/other body. For Regional & Jamaica Accreditation the administrative fee is US$400 or J$ equivalent per day. 

NOTE: PLEASE NOTE THAT THE COLLEGE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROMOTING/ADVERTISING THE MEETINGS BEING CERTIFIED FOR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES. IF THIS SERVICE IS REQUIRED IT WILL BE AT AN ADDITIONAL COST TO THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY, AND THE REQUEST MUST BE MADE THROUGH THE COLLEGE’S PRESIDENT/NOMINEE

PROMOTION OF EVENT – J$16,000.00 FOR TWO EMAIL BLASTS

EMAILING OF CERTIFICATES TO ATTENDEES –  J$15,000.00

NOTE: FOR COLLABORATIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SECRETARIAT FOR RATES AND CHARGES

 Effective 30/06/2023 (for Appications received after June 29, 2023)

Apply For Certification