Why is COPE setting new standards for support?
• COPE is being proactive The federal government has taken renewed interest in the relationships between industry and healthcare. Since 2000, new regulatory policies aimed at consumer protection and controlling healthcare costs have placed new restrictions on industry interactions with healthcare professionals. Many previously accepted activities are now being questioned. As a result, more industry support has been moved into grants for continuing education activities creating potential conflicts of interest issues for all healthcare professionals. In 2004 the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) addressed these issues by releasing their “Standards for Commercial Support” and in December of 2006 there was federal scrutiny of the effectiveness of these standards. In response, CE accrediting organizations are implementing guidelines implemented guidelines to appropriately manage industry relationships and support of CE activities to ensure transparency, fair bal