CME Alerts

Annual disclosure forms required for RSS (November 4, 2009)
All RSS Course Directors, Moderators, and Planners are required to complete the “Disclosure of Financial Relationships” (COI) form on an annual basis.  Completed forms should be submitted electronically to VCME.  

Required verbiage for RSS sign-in sheets (November 4, 2009)
The ACCME requires the disclosure of financial relationships to audiences at least once prior to the start of each activity.  This requirement must be met by use of the “Sign-in Sheet for regularly scheduled series” found under the Forms for Regularly Scheduled Series on the Required Forms page of this website.

RSS schedules available online (October 7, 2009) 
Regularly Scheduled Series (RSS) schedules are now available on the VCME website. These schedules include the day and time of the week the session is held; objectives for the target audience; and each CME associate’s email address so that potential attendees may contact you for further information.
 
Each RSS to be reviewed annually (October 7, 2009)
VCME will meet with each CME Associate annually to review documentation for their regularly scheduled series (RSS).  CME Associates will be notified of their annual review at least one week prior to their visit.  You are encouraged to access the CME Annual Review form, available on this website under the Regularly Scheduled Series section of the Required Forms page, prior to your review.  This is also a good time for you to update the annual Disclosure of Financial Relationships forms for your RSS Course Directors and Planners/Moderators.
 
Records Retention Policy posted online (October 7, 2009)
Files and records related to CME planning and implementation must be retained for six years.  Reference the online training manuals, available on the Training Opportunities page, for additional details.

Updated forms and training manuals available online (October 6, 2009)
To access updated training manuals, visit the Training Opportunities page of this website.  To access updated forms, templates and checklists, visit the Required Forms page of this website. 

Remember:  this website will always have the most current forms and information, and should be referenced prior to the planning and implementation of every activity.
 
Discard Training Manuals (July 23, 2009)
Those of you who have worked with us for over two years may remember taking part in training sessions in which 3-ring reference binders and CDs were distributed.  These materials have been superseded by the website, so we ask that you discard any training materials you may have retained.  Please know that the website will always feature the most up-to-date forms, statements, and verbiage.

Exhibits by Pharmaceutical Companies (July 23, 2009)
Effective July 1, 2009, exhibits by pharmaceutical companies and/or medical device manufacturers are prohibited at CME activities held on the Vanderbilt campus.  For more information, you may access the “Policy on Conflicts of Interest and Interactions…” found under “Policies and Procedures” on the Supplemental Resources page of this website.
If your activity is held off-campus, remember that exhibit space must be purchased separately, and cannot be offered free-of-charge to pharmaceutical companies and/or medical device manufacturers that provide commercial support for your activity. For more information, refer to the “ACCME Standards for Commercial Support” found under “Commercial Support” on the Supplemental Resources page of this website.

All speaker disclosure forms for regularly scheduled series must be submitted to the Division of CME (January 22, 2009) 
Beginning January 22, 2009, all speaker disclosure forms -- whether financial relationships are indicated or not -- must be submitted to the Division of CME via email (preferred) or fax.  This supersedes the prior regularly scheduled series policy that required submission of disclosure forms only when speakers indicated financial relationships. 
 
Schedules required for regularly scheduled series (January 22, 2009)
Schedules for regularly scheduled series must be submitted via email (preferred) or fax to the Division of CME as they become available.  Any format for any given timeframe (i.e., weekly, monthly, annually) is acceptable.

Restrictions on how disclosures may be made on-site at departmentally managed and jointly sponsored activities (November 5, 2008)
Beginning January 1, 2009, there will two required methods of disclosing CME information to your audience: a speaker slide for each individual speaker (detailing his/her financial disclosures, to be included in each individual's presentation) and a syllabus or handout.  The requirements for course announcements and opening slides have been eliminated.

Allowable methods of submitting materials to VCME (November 5, 2008)
Effective January 1, 2009, we will no longer accept CME paperwork via office drop-offs or campus mail.  The preferred method is via email.  However, if scanning capabilities are not available, you may fax your materials to 615-322-4526.  (The exceptions to this include delivery of your activity syllabus, which of course, may be too bulky to send electronically, and payment of your CME fee – both of which apply to departmentally managed and jointly sponsored activities only.)

Group disclosures acceptable in some circumstances (November 5, 2008)
A blanket statement for your departmentally managed or jointly sponsored activity syllabus or handout is acceptable.  For example:
All course directors, planners, and speakers have no financial relationships to disclose with the exception of the following:
              Benjamin Franklin Pierce, MD:  Merck - Shareholder, Speaker Fee
              Margaret Houlihan, RN: Bristol Myers-Squibb - Speaker Fee
Vanderbilt CME has determined that there are no conflicts of interest.

Please be aware that not only is such information to be included in the syllabus or handout, but EACH speaker MUST include a presentation slide prior to the start of their talk that lets the audience know that they either have no financial relationships, or they do have financial relationships and must disclose the company name and relationship role.