CMR Institute: Education Key to Physician/Representative Re...( ROANOKE Va. July 10 /- Today's Ph...)

ROANOKE, Va., July 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Today's Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) code announcement to end the practice of providing non-educational materials to physicians is another step toward enhancing the value of the physician/industry representative interaction, says Jim Dutton, president of CMR Institute, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to educating and certifying industry representatives.

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Dutton says the PhRMA code revision banning the distribution of non-educational items such as pens, mugs and other "reminder" items to healthcare providers and staff, reinforces the industry's goal to educate healthcare professionals in order to benefit patients.

"Education is the key to making the representative's visit a valuable one for clinicians," says Dutton. "We believe a next step -- the adoption of uniform national certification standards -- would further demonstrate the industry's commitment to broadening the knowledge and expertise of representatives," he adds.

Dutton says a national certification validated by an independent organization would assure physicians that all certified representatives meet a baseline of science, compliance, and business knowledge. "Unbranded education that includes therapeutic knowledge, disease management, pharmacology, and patient quality-of-life issues will help representatives be a more valuable resource to physicians who have a critical need to have the most current and accurate information about medicine and advances in healthcare," Dutton says.

The PhRMA code has long encouraged undergraduate degrees in the sciences, and pharmaceutical companies provide extensive product training and professional development programs, Dutton says. "But required coursework providing more in-depth scientific knowledge an
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