Daniel Carlat, MD will go to just about any lengths to discredit medical communications companies, he even once set up a website (at 2:00 in the morning) to parody the Association Clinical Researchers and Educators. This time he has gone overseas to give an example of a problem medical education company in a story titled: A MECC that BLISSfully Keeps Promotion in Medical Education
In his story he outlines how this UK based company Brand(x) (no offices or presence in the US) which produces promotional educational programs in Europe is somehow illegal and immoral in the US and would like to send Murray Kopelow, MD of the ACCME on a wild goose chase (or fox hunt – this is what they do in the UK) to “investigate this company which after verification does not produce ACCME accredited programs or operate in the US.
According to company representative Maria Parnham Head of Med Ed at Brand(x) Medical Education business unit does no work in the US. The only work we (Brand(x)) does in the US is with our Strategic brand consultancy team with select healthcare and veterinary clients.”
All of the Brand(x) Medical Education operates under either the strict codes of the UK ABPI or within the restriction of local European market codes. We do , for a selection of clients develop, opinion leader led educational programmes that adhere to the requirements of the Royal College of Physicians for UK CME and the EACCME for European accreditation.”
The article Dr. Carlat wrote sounds sinister but in the end the link he is trying to make is that promotional companies in Europe operate like accredited medical education companies (MECCS) in America is a giant leap not based on reality, the equivalent to stepping over the “pond” which is the Atlantic Ocean.
For some reason “which I can’t figure out” Dr. Calat is on a single focused mission to rid the world of very capable and innovated medical education companies who have a passion to educate healthcare providers. It is the equivalent to being against all small businesses who receive support from the federal government or industry. As a history lesson, we live in America, America is a “free country” and we are all entitled to make an honest living, which the vast majority of medical education companies are.