Gone are the days when pharmaceutical representatives could walk into a physician’s office with lunch or other perks and leave with a promise of increased medical prescriptions.
“In the current healthcare environment … they need to provide real value by sharing the latest clinical research and information,” said David Eubanks, senior vice president of the American College of Chest Physicians.
To cater to the ever-changing healthcare environment, the ACCP is bringing together physicians and industry representatives in an educational program that emphasizes the significant mutual benefits that each group provides.
In 2004, the college piloted its first Professional Representative Education Program (ACCP PREP), designed to prepare industry representatives to communicate intelligently and professionally with physicians and other members of the healthcare team about the industry and the clinical setting.
“Industry representatives can become valued resources by providing physicians with thorough and accurate information about their drug and how physicians can use it to get the best possible outcome for patients,” said ACCP PREP site director Kalpalatha Guntupalli, MD, of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “And, that’s what we hope for as clinicians – the best possible outcome for our patients.”
The course can be tailored to fit the needs of any discipline or company and adapted to address any disease state. Examples of topics from prior programs include urology, oncology, neurology, sleep and breast cancer.
Managed by the college from content to delivery, ACCP PREP is delivered in three phases over the course of one to four days. To maintain ethical standards, no specific drugs or device names are mentioned unless all competitive drugs or devices are given equal attention. All program activities are in compliance with HIPPA regulations, Office of Inspector General guidelines.
“Industry representatives complete the program after being immersed in the hospital and clinical environments,” said Jeffery S. Vender, MD, an ACCP PREP site director from the Northshore University Health System in Evanston, Ill. “Representatives develop an understanding and appreciation for what physicians and other clinicians do and what role industry plays in patient care.”