The School of Medicine Industry Conflict-of-Interest Policy prohibits
faculty members from participating in industry-paid speakers’ bureau
activities. “Speakers’ bureau activity” is defined as: “Compensation by any
pharmaceutical company, medical device manufacturer or manufacturer of other
health- or nutrition-related products, or their subsidiaries, for speaking
engagements, whether on a one-time or recurring basis.”
Under this policy, some industry-sponsored speaking engagements are permitted.
A faculty committee has been established by the Dean and Faculty Officers to
review requests for approval of speaking engagements. Approval may be granted
only by the committee, and only for faculty presentations that represent a
genuine service to the community and that are solely for educational purposes.
Approval will not be granted for promotional or marketing talks. Specifically,
approval will not be granted if: a) the talk focuses on specific drugs or
products; OR b) the speaker is required to use any slides or other materials
provided by industry; OR c) the slides or other instructional materials are
subject to oversight or review by industry (although industry representatives
are permitted to review slides and handouts for the sole purpose of ensuring
compliance with FDA regulations).
There are three types of paid speaking engagements where approval by the
faculty COI committee is not required.
First, faculty members may receive compensation directly from an academic
institution for serving as a visiting professor or presenting grand rounds.
Faculty members may also give presentations where official Continuing Medical
Education (CME) credits are awarded. Finally, faculty members may participate
in speaking engagements that are directly related to the faculty member’s
research. Though not explicitly defined in the SOM speakers’ bureau policy,
research-related speaking includes “activities that focus on planning, conduct
or analysis of a clinical or scientific investigation or dissemination of the
results of an investigation performed or coordinated by the faculty
member.”
To obtain approval for an industry-sponsored speaking engagement,
complete this short application.
This link also provides more information about the SOM COI and speakers’ bureau
policies.
Faculty members must be aware that speakers’ bureau activities, even if
approved by the COI Committee, are still subject to other University and SOM
regulations, including those governing disclosures of financial ties and
assignment of income to University Physicians, Inc. (UPI). For a general
discussion of relevant UPI and University policies governing speaking and
consulting income, see the SOM case
studies document.