PhRMA

Compliance News in Review, August 21, 2017

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Opioid investigations expand; the FDA plans drug advertising studies; DOJ units team up for healthcare sector FCPA investigations; the Sunshine Act is out in South Korea; and a big settlement could signal a new enforcement avenue; all casting a shadow in this edition of the Compliance News in Review.

Here comes the sun, and the moon, and a shadow. It’s eclipse fever! The total eclipse over the continental U.S. was one for the record books, and had people flocking to places like Alliance, NE, Hopkinsville, KY, and Red Bank, SC. If you couldn’t make it to the path of totality this time, you have seven years to plan for the next event.

The shadow of the investigation into the business practices opioid makers use continues to spread. In an SEC filing, Mylan revealed it has received a subpoena from the Department of Justice (DOJ) for information about its opioid business practices. The company, a relatively small player in the opioid market, said it is cooperating with the request.

The FDA, hoping to shed some light on disclosures in drug advertising, has proposed two studies that will focus on how safety information is perceived. The first study will involve patient recall of important safety information presented in print, direct to consumer ads. The second will include oncologists, primary care physicians, and non-oncology mid-level practitioners. It will focus on the effectiveness of disclosures related to preliminary or descriptive clinical and scientific data.

The DOJ’s Criminal Fraud Section announced a partnership between its Healthcare Fraud Unit’s Corporate Strike Force and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) prosecutors. Speaking at an anticorruption conference, the acting chief of the Criminal Fraud Unit said, “This increased coordination will ensure that companies, their executives, employees, and agents are held to account for the payment of bribes and kickbacks to foreign and domestic officials and actors regardless of the market.” He also urged companies to empower compliance teams to take steps to make their anticorruption programs better.

South Korea is the latest nation to bring sunshine to industry-physician relationships. The country has enacted a transparency law like the U.S. Sunshine Act. The law applies to pharmaceutical and medical device companies, and covers a wide range of recipients including pharmacists, herbalists, and acupuncturists, in addition to physicians. Transfers of value covered by the new law include product samples, academic conference sponsorships, food, beverage, and other items (e.g. pens, notepads). Transfers of value must be reported on one of seven reporting templates, and companies must begin collecting data on January 31, 2018.

Is a bad moon rising over industry relationships with patient assistance charities? Recently, United Therapeutics announced it had reserved $210 million in anticipation of a settlement with the government over activities involving a copay assistance charity. Other companies have disclosed that they are subject to investigations as well. Charities do not face the same restrictions as pharmaceutical companies when offering co-pay assistance and the contributions companies make to charities can be considered kickbacks. According to an attorney with Morgan and Morgan, the United Therapeutics announcement is likely to send “shock waves” through the industry.

With that, we end this shadowy edition of the Compliance News in Review. Until next time, we leave you with a total eclipse of the sun, er…Total Eclipse of the Heart.

Compliance News in Review, July 31, 2017

NXLevel Compliance Team , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A whistleblower settlement, the effect of a recent cyberattack on one company’s drug supply, transparency in Ontario, and the growth of CME, all served for your approval in this edition of the Compliance News in Review.

It is the quintessential American food, even if it didn’t originate here; it’s the hamburger. Nothing beats a good burger, even during the hot dog days of summer (see what we did there?). The tasty entrée even inspired the bard of gulf and western music, Jimmy Buffet, to write a song extoling its virtues. So, how do you like your burger? With slaw? Kraut? Chili? Our mouths are watering just pondering the possibilities! Before we fire up the grill here at the News in Review World Headquarters, we’ll serve a tasty treat of a different flavor – the latest edition of the Compliance News in Review.

This is hardly minced meat. Celgene has agreed to pay $280 million to settle claims in a whistleblower suit that accused the company of promoting two of its cancer products for off-label purposes. The whistleblower, a former employee, claims the company directly marketed the drugs for the off-label uses and hid risks of blood clots from physicians. Celgene did not admit to wrongdoing in the settlement.

Still in a bit of pickle following the Petya cyberattack, Merck has warned that some drug supplies may be disrupted as it continues to rebound from the attack. The company’s R&D and manufacturing operations have not yet fully recovered and there may be temporary delays in filling orders for some products.

Ontario doctors may be flipping over a recent judicial decision that will allow the payments they receive from the government insurance program to be published. The Toronto Star filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the names of the top 100 billers. The Ontario Health Ministry refused to provide the names, saying it would be an invasion of privacy. Two doctor groups and the Ontario Medical Association also fought the release of names, arguing that doing so “accomplishes nothing other than naming and shaming.” The judges disagreed, saying the “public is entitled to information in the possession of their governments so that the public may, among other things, hold their governments accountable.”

The Accreditation Council of Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) 2016 report on the growth of CME finds an increase in the number of events (7%), as well as an increase in the number of instructional hours (9%). The study also shows the number of activities and interactions has increased steadily since 2010. ACCME President and CEO, Dr. Graham McMahon, noted that there are currently more than 3,000 hours of CME available to healthcare providers.

That brings us to the end of another “well done” edition of the Compliance News in Review. We’ll see you right back here for the next summertime treatise, and in the meantime, we leave you with a few tips for barbecuing the perfect burger (olive oil…who knew?).

Have a great week!

Compliance News in Review, June 13, 2017

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States with new laws, lawsuits and more; HHS says drug pricing is a top issue; the AMA takes aim at DTC ads again; and transparency efforts and more from Europe…all in this edition of the Compliance News in Review.

The magic, mystery, and “monstering” of the summer movies season is in full swing! From super-heroes to lush gothic tales, there’s something for everyone this summer. There’s nothing like escaping to the theater on a rainy summer day. Can’t you just smell the popcorn and taste the Milk Duds? Before you head off to take in the latest blockbuster or art house feature, silence your cell phone and enjoy this screening of the latest edition of the Compliance News in Review.

We begin with a trilogy of compelling releases. The Nevada legislature passed a bill that would have required makers of diabetes drugs to report drug pricing information to the State. The bill was forwarded to the governor, who promptly vetoed it. Undaunted, State senators revised the bill; removing the requirements to which the governor objected and adding provisions that apply to all drug manufacturers. It was passed, and in an ending fit for Hollywood, the governor has said he is “proud to sign” the new bill. The law will require manufacturers to report pricing for diabetes drugs, and all manufacturers must now supply a list of sales representatives who work in the State. Additionally, all transfers of value from Nevada sales representative to HCPs must be reported each year, including those to mid-level practitioners and office staff.

It’s a wrap on a new law concerning generic drug pricing in Maryland. Generic drug makers will now be fined when a price increase causes a product’s wholesale acquisition price (WAC) to increase by more than 50% in one year, or if the drug’s WAC is greater than $80. Maryland’s expressed concern that the bill did not address the cost of patented drugs and devices, and that it may result in citizens not having access to some generic drugs. Concerns aside, the governor did not veto the bill. The law will go into effect October 1.

The Washington D.C. Department of Health has posted several FAQs related to AccessRx. The FAQs cover a variety of issues including reporting timelines, advertising expenses, and gift reporting.

HHS Secretary, Dr. Tom Price, says drug pricing is a coming attraction for the agency. In testimony before the senate budget committee, Price said the president has directed him to develop proposals to lower drug costs. He also said meetings with stakeholders have already taken place.

This attraction is rated “P” for pricing. At the AMA’s annual meeting, the group will consider a proposal urging drug manufacturers to list drug prices in DTC ads. The proposal was introduced by several New England medical societies, and advocates who have been pushing federal agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission and the FDA, to compel drug companies to include retail pricing information in DTC ads. The proposal will need to be approved by the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates before being presented to the larger body.

From the foreign film division, a story of transparency. German doctors will be able to voluntarily disclose payments they receive from drug companies in a database managed by the non-profit journalism group, Correctiv. According to a study conducted by Correctiv, 71,000 German doctors received 575 million Euros worth of payments from the industry last year. The study also found that only 29% of doctors were willing to have their payment information published.

Two companies have been publicly reprimanded for breaches of the ABPI Code of Practice. In one case, a media agency published the work it did for the company to promote the agency’s creative capabilities. The work was out-of-date and no longer accurate. Even though the company did not give the agency permission to publish the work, and voluntarily reported the incident, it was found to have violated Clause 2 of the Code of Practice; bringing discredit upon and reducing confidence in the industry. In the other breach, another company was reprimanded for distributing a patient support leaflet with inaccurate and misleading information. The company was asked to issue a corrective statement to the healthcare providers who had already received the leaflet.

The last story is a good reminder of the importance of making sure your compliance training extends to vendors and other third parties. In bribery cases, we see the damage that can be caused when third parties run afoul of laws and regulations. Vendors and other third parties need to be evaluated for the risk associated with their services and targeted training should be provided based on that risk.

With that, we roll the closing credits on this edition of the Compliance News in the Review. Thanks for reading. We’ll see you at the movies!

Compliance News in Review, May 22, 2017

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Insider trading baseball; PhRMA changes the rules; shorter FCPA investigations; praise for Medicines Australia transparency efforts; and a Chinese television drama all about anticorruption. The heat is on in this edition of the Compliance News in Review.

The “official” start of summer is just around the corner and the sun, sand, and ‘squitos will be here before you can say “turn up the air conditioning.” Considering the late winter-like weather many have been experiencing around the U.S. (we feel your pain Colorado), a little heat and humidity sounds like a good idea. Before we restock the sunblock supply and head for the beach (or “down the shore” if you happen to reside in New Jersey), let’s review what has been heating up the newswires, with this issue of the Compliance News in Review.

A former “boy of summer” Doug DeCinces, was found guilty of insider trader for acting on non-public information related to the sale of a medical device company. Prosecutors claimed the former major league baseball player received information from his neighbor, the CEO of a medical device company, about the pending sale of the company to Abbott Laboratories. Prosecutors claimed DeCinces, who was found guilty on 14 felony counts, made stock trades based on the information and tipped others about the sale. His lawyer plans to file a motion for a new trial.

The heat is on at PhRMA. New rules regarding membership in the organization went into effect recently, and promptly led to the ouster of several companies. The new rules require member companies to spend at least 10% of sales on global research and development over three years. Companies must also spend at least $200 million a year on research. Seven companies were unable to meet the new requirements and lost their membership.

Some doctors felt the need to share their warm feelings for Medicines Australia’s transparency efforts. A pair of physicians, and the leader of the Greens party, who is also a doctor, penned a letter to the Australian Medical Journal, praising the organization’s move to increase transparency in industry/HCP relationships. The letter suggests that pharmaceutical and medical device companies follow Medicines Australia’s lead.

As the summer days grow longer, FCPA investigations could be getting shorter. During a conference, Trevor McFadden, acting principal deputy assistant attorney general, for the Department of Justice, expressed his hope that future FCPA investigations will “be measured in months, not years.” FCPA thought leaders believe that narrowing the self-reporting window will help control the scope of investigations, but interviewing witnesses in foreign countries can be time consuming.

A television program focused on anti-corruption in government is heating up the Chinese airwaves. The Chinese government usually bans artistic endeavors related to anti-corruption, but the drama, In the Name of the People, has the support and “green-backing” of the government. The show follows the story of an upstanding detective who investigates government corruption in a fictional Chinese province. The program is the top show on Chinese television, and nearly a dozen similar programs are in production.

The focus on anticorruption efforts around the world continues to grow. Does your training extend beyond the FCPA to cover countries like China, Mexico, and Brazil? The newly update Compliance Foundations™ eLearning module, Global Anticorruption Laws introduces learners to the regulations, and the affect they have on their daily work lives and the pharmaceutical and medical device industries in general. Contact us to see a content outline or demo.

Thanks for reading!

Notes from A Busy Day at CBI’s 14th Annual Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress

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The 14th Annual Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress featured an array of industry leaders, regulators, and legal consultants offering best practices, tips, and first-hand experiences related to reducing risk and strengthening compliance programs. This summary is focused on Day 1 of the conference, which featured a robust array of general sessions and breakout panels.

Pre-conference sessions were held the day before, and included Accelerated Learning — Healthcare Compliance and Policy Applications, which featured a panel of industry subject matter experts, including Dan O’Connor, Senior Vice President for PharmaCertify™, covering the topics those new to life science compliance need to understand in order to establish and maintain an effective program.

Luminary Session

The first presentation, Ignite and Infuse — Integrating a Compliant Culture within the Company’s DNA, featured three senior industry leaders, Beth Levine from Regeneron, Jim Massey of AstraZeneca, and Michael Shaw from GlaxoSmithKline offering compelling lessons on establishing successful compliance programs and the value of understanding “why they do what they do.”

Beth Levine shared the value principles she prioritized as she started building the department in 2008 when she was hired as the company’s first chief compliance officer. From the beginning, she emphasized the importance not having a “prosecutorial culture,” but one that was more “human, helpful, and empathetic.”

Jim Massey began his comments by recounting the recent United Airlines story related to the passenger being forcefully removed from a flight and the company’s public relations missteps in the immediate follow up. The core of the problem, as Massey saw it, was that United employees were strictly following rules and not making decisions for themselves.

At AstraZeneca, Massey and his team have instituted a true rules-based in which they “trust their people and not just the policies.” His goal was to simplify the policies as much as possible, so much so that the company now has a one-page Code of Conduct.

Michael Shaw followed in agreement, stating his belief that “complexity creates more risk rather than mitigating risk.” He used the example of speaker programs and the value of narrowing the policy down to kickback risks and communication risks.

The concept of a values-based approach to compliance has been discussed at length over the last ten years of the Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress, but this was the first time I heard the presenters offer such concrete and compelling examples and case studies of how their companies put the idea into practice. So much so that, throughout the day, other industry professionals and government regulators repeatedly referenced their comments to emphasize and highlight their own points. It was an illuminating presentation.

Elite Chief Compliance Officer Exchange and Fireside Chat

Next, compliance officers from Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson and Merck focused on data privacy and shared their thoughts on the proverbial question of “what keeps them awake at night.” For one presenter, that answer was tied to global risks (another common theme throughout the conference) and for another, it is more about the risks that “have not yet been identified” and that’s why regular risk assessments are so important. In a nod to representatives from smaller companies in the audience, that same presenter warned them not to over-engineer the risk assessments too much and to, “follow the money, and focus on the company’s business plan” to help identify the risks.

More than one presenter during the Fireside Chat stressed that while the data can be useful and powerful, “at the end of the day, it’s about respecting people’s privacy,” which relates to the values approached espoused in the first session. In the words of that CCO, “you need to think about what’s important, not just the process.” As another echoed, “don’t sit back and wait for laws and regulations, put in protections for providers and patients.”

U.S. Healthcare Fraud Enforcement Panel/Former Prosecutor’s Panel

The presentations shifted to the point of view of the industry as a panel of U.S. Attorneys took the stage for the Top Enforcement Trends and Focal Points for 2017 and Beyond session, which was blended with the former prosecutor’s panel, New Developments on High-Profile Cases and Settlements Uncovering Healthcare Fraud.

Unexpectedly, the discussion began with a sobering discussion about the opioid crisis in America, with disturbing statistics on the alarm growth of addiction rates and overdose deaths. It’s not a topic the audience necessarily expected, but it’s one that needs to be discussed, as regulators and the healthcare community seek answers to this frightening scourge that crosses all socioeconomic borders. The numbers are disturbing, and the panelists emphasized that “everyone is working together to figure out where the over-prescribing is coming from,” and “anyone involved in the distribution chain must have a program in place to help detect misuse and abuse.” They’re comments were punctuated by a reference to the recent McKesson case, in which the company paid $150 million to settle claims that it failed to put a system in place to detect suspicious orders.

A former US attorney offered a powerful suggestion when he called for the audience members to immediately and safely remove unused medications from their home, when they return from the conference, because “70% of people who start abusing opioids get them from someone they know, not a doctor.”

The two panels covered more traditional topics as well, and discussed the need for an active and strong compliance program. One presenter focused on smaller companies and warned of the risk of being too focused on being acquired to spent sufficient time on compliance. Not only is that a risk for the company itself, it should be a huge concern for any company interested in acquiring it. Another presenter touched on the familiar theme of “embedding yourself in the business,” as a method for ensuring the program is predictive and “risk-intelligent.”

The session closed with an important and hopeful comment from one panelist when he said, “what you don’t hear about are cases we decide not to prosecute because the companies have such robust compliance programs. That happens in all of our offices.”

Promotional Compliance

After the lunch break, I joined the Promotional Compliance content stream, which began with Tom Abrams of the Office of Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, and his annual Hot Topics, Guidance, Enforcement Trends, and Warning Letter Review session.

Tom detailed the recent Tuxarin ER warning, which focused on a series of troublesome product claims, including the suggestion that the product is safer than its competitors based on differences in dosing formulation and safety profiles of individual ingredients. He also provided a review of the recent Draft Guidance of Medical Product Communications That Are Consistent With the FDA-Required Labeling. The guidance explains the FDA’s current thinking on common questions about the topic and explains that the agency does not consider communications that are consistent with the FDA-required labeling to alone be evidence of a new intended use. A full list of recent warning letters and guidance documents are available on the FDA’s website.

During the First Amendment and Off-label – Caronia and Beyond presentation, Elizabeth Kim of Loeb and Loeb briefly touched on the history of the key cases over the years, and left the audience with key takeaways in terms of where we are now with off-label promotion as it relates to the First Amendment, including:

  • FDA will continue regulate promotion, and there is no green light to promote off-label;
  • Information can be truthful but still misleading in context, and;
  • Transparency and full disclosure are key and includes the good and the bad in terms of how you promote.

She also touched on the recent Arizona off-label law knows as the Free Speech in Medicine Act. At least one institution, the Goldwater Institute, wants to encourage other state legislatures to consider similar legislation, but the law is federally pre-empted, so at this point, it is a symbolic step.

Conclusion

The panel sessions and presentations covered above represent only a portion of the guidance and valuable information offered throughout this year’s Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress. The conference is always chock full of content applicable to those new to the field of life sciences compliance, as well as experienced professionals seeking the latest in best practices, suggestions, and guidance from their peers, consultants, and regulators. This year’s agenda and presenters did not disappoint.

Thanks for reading.

Sean Murphy, Product and Marketing Manager

Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress 2017 Preview

NXLevel Compliance Team , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The 14th Annual Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress (PCC 2017) is just around the corner. Whether you work in Compliance, R&D, or Medical Affairs, this year’s conference has sessions for you. We’ll be there as well, catching up with friends and colleagues and learning the latest trends and best practices from industry and government professionals. Here are just a few of the sessions and content streams we have on our to-do list.

Preconference

If you’re there for the preconference sessions on Wednesday, we humbly suggest the session titled Accelerated Learning – Healthcare Compliance and Policy Applications. Dan O’Connor, Senior Vice President for PharmaCertify™, will join a panel of industry leaders and legal consultants in what promises to be a valuable primer for those new to the compliance function or those not in the compliance department who need to understand the responsibilities of their compliance colleagues. We’ve seen the previews!

Day One

Plan to arrive early on Day One, since the opening session, Ignite and Infuse – Integrating a Compliant Culture within Company DNA features an impressive panel of leaders from the industry, including Beth Levine from Regeneron, Jim Massey from AstraZeneca, and Michael Shaw from GlaxoSmithKline.

Following the lunch break, we’re interested in the First Amendment and Off-label Promotion – Caronia and Beyond session occurring in the Promotional Compliance content stream. Considering the recent news around the final rule for off-label promotion and the introduction of a bill in Congress on the topic, it promises to be a timely discussion. We’re also interested the HEOR, Real World Evidence and Comparative Research Effectiveness session in the Clinical Research and R&D Compliance content stream to learn more about how health economic and outcomes research affects the compliance space.

The Small to Mid-Sized Bio/Pharma Boot Camp offers sessions dedicated to issues of concern to a significant portion of the attendees. Compliance professionals working in smaller companies face the same issues as their counterparts in large companies, but are challenged to do more with less as they strive to build or expand their compliance programs. We’re looking forward to hearing how they deal with the challenges of training with such limited resources.

The late afternoon Global Compliance content stream includes several sessions covering anticorruption laws around the globe. (And by the way, when you can work a nod to Walt Disney World in your session title, you’ve got our attention.) Anticorruption efforts are increasing rapidly around the world. The Department of Justice has indicated it doesn’t intend to end the FCPA Pilot Program anytime soon, signaling its intention to continue the aggressive pursuit of corruption cases. Also, the Serious Fraud office in the UK recently entered into its first corporate Deferred Prosecution Agreement, adding even more muscle to the UK Bribery Act.

Since training around speaker programs is a consistent concern and need for our clients, we’ll also be listening carefully and taking copious notes in the Compliance Concerns Regarding Speaker Programs session in the Medical Affairs content stream.

Day Two

On Day Two, we’ll be in our seats bright and early again, and we don’t expect to need extra coffee for a session titled, Cardiac Arrest – Surviving Five Years as a Medical Device CEO on the DOJ’s Hit List. We are particularly interested to hear how prosecutors use the Yates Memo to focus on individuals during an investigation. If that isn’t enough to wake you up, the Data Protection, Privacy Risks and Cyber Crime session should do the trick, considering the vast amounts of data those in the industry are required to manage and protect.

The use of third parties and other intermediaries is one of the top bribery risks facing life sciences companies, so as Day Two wraps up, we’ll be sure to catch the Third-Party Due Diligence in the U.S. and Abroad workshop.

If you’re attending the conference, we want to know what you think. Stop by Booth 10 in the Exhibit Hall and let us know what sessions you found to be most intriguing and useful. If you can’t make it this year, watch for updates on the PharmaCertify™ Twitter feed and our annual post conference highlights and notes here on our blog.

We hope to see you in Washington!

Move Beyond the Basics to Make Compliance Training Stick

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We’ve come a long way in life sciences compliance training in a relatively short time. Fifteen years ago, the common approach to compliance training often involved lawyers from the legal department, using PowerPoint slide decks to train large groups, once a year at POA sessions. Somewhere along the way, the industry recognized the importance of instructional design, and the power of technology, as the focus shifted to eLearning and the on-going search for ways to use it in an engaging and creative manner. That pursuit continues.

Instructionally-sound, creatively-scripted eLearning still represents an effective method for training large groups across a company, but to truly reduce risk, micro-learning concepts need to be strategically integrated to your curriculum. More targeted training, focused on specific subjects, and smaller audiences, is key. Let’s use anticorruption training as an example.

Anti-bribery legislation is on the rise around the world, and the increasing risks associated with the growing number of laws requires a comprehensive approach to your anti-bribery/anticorruption (ABAC) training. Core ABAC training, by nature, needs to address an expansive topic list, and it needs to be targeted to audiences as diverse as sales and marketing; medical affairs; regulatory; logistics; and manufacturing. Once that core training is launched though, the audiences that represent the highest risk (i.e., sales and marketing), and the topics that present the greatest risks to those audiences, (e.g., third-party red flags) need to be identified. As one example, deploying a smaller module on “recognizing and reducing third-party red flags,” to the sales and marketing audience after the broader ABAC module is completed, reduces risk for the one audience that has direct contact with third-party intermediaries.

Micro-learning doesn’t have to end with mini-modules. Employees are seeking information and training differently than they did back in those PowerPoint-driven years. Tools such as infographics and scenario-based video sequences offer more opportunity to make the focused learning stick, especially when spaced appropriately across a learner’s timeline and blended with other learning components. In addition, reinforcement doesn’t end with training. Apps offer an ideal method for delivering “just-in-time” reference content where the employees need it most – in the field and at their fingertips. In this case, offering access to a list of red flags, and tips for how to identify them, would drive down the risk for that sales and marketing audience.

The PharmaCertify team will be exhibiting at the 14th Annual Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress in Washington April 26-28. If you’re attending, stop by Booth 10 (it’s back there where CBI keeps all the good food!) to share your ideas for reinforcing compliance learning in your organization. After all, we’re compliance learning geeks – we want to hear them! And don’t miss Dan O’Connor, Senior Vice President for PharmaCertify™ at NXLevel Solutions, as he and his co-presenters offer a conference prelude session on healthcare compliance and policy applications.

See you in Washington!

Sean Murphy, Product and Marketing Manager

Compliance News in Review, March 27, 2017

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Everything’s coming up roses, off-label speech, and corruption, in this edition of the News in Review.

We’ve got the fever…Spring fever! Spring has sprung, and we couldn’t be happier. Warmer weather, more daylight, budding trees and flowers, what’s not to love (besides the severe weather, commuting in the dark, and pollen)? This Spring, the flowers aren’t the only thing blooming, though. A new edition of the Compliance News in Review has appeared in our garden.

Arizona gets to claim the first “bloom” for sharing truthful off-label information with the governor signing the Free Speech in Medicine Act into law. The law protects the free speech rights of those in the medical community to discuss truthful off-label information about FDA approved drugs. It covers speech that is “not misleading, not contrary to fact, and consistent with generally accepted scientific principles,” and only deals with discussions between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals. It does not cover off-label discussions or advertisements targeted to consumers.

The FDA has stemmed the implementation of a new off-label regulation. The agency announced in the Federal Register that it would delay the effective date of a final rule related to “intended use” regulations until March of 2018. It is delaying the effective date to consider public commentary. In February, industry trade groups petitioned the FDA to indefinitely stay and reconsider the rule.

Is a late season chill on the horizon for Novartis? According to a media report, the South Korean government is considering additional penalties against the company in relation to a kickback case. The government’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has already imposed a fine against the company and suspended the sale of some of the company’s products. A source at the Ministry of Health and Wellness said the government was considering lowering the price of the drugs involved in the kickback case. Novartis said the court case was on going, and it wasn’t aware of an “imminent” decision from the Health Ministry.

“New life” is being breathed into the FCPA Pilot Program. At the American Bar Association’s National Institute on White Collar Crime , Acting Assistant Attorney General, Kenneth Blanco said the DOJ will evaluate the Pilot Program and determine what, if any, changes should be made. Until the evaluation is complete, the Pilot Program will remain in force. The Pilot Program, the common name for the DOJ Fraud unit’s guidance on FCPA investigations and prosecutions, was due to expire on April 5. The Pilot Program is intended to encourage individuals and companies to voluntarily self-disclose instances of corruption, and establishes requirements for voluntary self-disclosure, cooperation with investigations, and the resolution of FCPA cases.

The growth in global anticorruption settlements and activity is sure to be a hot topic at the Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress, April 26-28 in Washington, DC. The PharmaCertify™ team will be providing demos our new Compliance Foundations™ module, Global Anticorruption Laws, along with all our new and updated compliance training products, at Booth 10 on the Exhibit Floor.

See you in Washington!

The Forgetting Curve and Compliance Training

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What exactly does a 167-year-old German scientist have to do with your compliance training? As a chief compliance officer, or training manager, the answer may keep you up at night – especially if you haven’t integrated micro-learning elements continuously into your company’s compliance learning curriculum.

Hermann Ebbinghaus was a German psychologist who is credited with theorizing fundamentals of human learning, including the learning curve, the spacing effect, and the forgetting curve. The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve essentially states that what humans remember after a learning event drops steeply soon after completion of that event. His research shows that memory loss continues to increase until it finally flattens around 30-days post event.

 

Steven Just, Ed.D., Chief Learning Officer at Intela Learning, a developer of continuous learning platforms, writes, “What gets stored in our long-term memories is subject to decay (i.e. forgetting)… deep learning occurs when memories are stored in long-term memory and stabilized. This is called memory consolidation.”

Fortunately for those of us seeking to reduce compliance risks across a company, spacing follow up micro-learning components, in smaller chunks, across a learner’s timeline helps flatten that forgetting curve and increase retention. As Dr. Just writes, “Retrieve the memory from long-term memory, bring it into working memory, process it, and then re-store (re-encode) it in long-term memory.”

Micro-learning Tools

Short “sprints” of learning deployed in follow up to foundational compliance training provides that opportunity for the concepts to be “re-stored” in the learner’s long-term memory. Micro-learning can include brief mini modules focused on one topic that you’ve identified as needing reinforcement. If gifts and meals are a high risk for your HCP-facing employees, a scenario-based mini module built around a common situation they face in the field, deployed soon after the comprehensive training, is one method for alleviating their concerns and reinforcing the appropriate behaviors. Mini modules aren’t the only effective tools for flattening the curve though. Short learning nuggets like quizzes and gaming, strategically deployed over time serve to heighten retention as well. As another option, sprint activities and scenario-based mysteries can be delivered in a competitive workshop format to reinforce participants’ understanding of policies and principles. (We call it the Compliance Reality Challenge).

Code of Conduct

Considering the range of topics covered in a typical code of conduct, from workplace violence; to harassment; and gifts and hospitality, a more creative and engaging approach to reinforcing the initial code training is not only a good idea, it’s crucial to improving the learning. One approach we’ve deployed to successful reviews is what we’ve titled Know the Code. Working with the client, we target specific topics within the broader code of conduct to create a “streaming” series, with each 7-minute “episode” built around those topics. Each animated scene in a scenario lasts approximately one minute. A narrator character tells the story and when necessary, directs the learner to take part in on-screen activities, with individual character voices employed to bring life and realism to the scenarios. The episodes are strategically released across a timeframe designed to once again, “re-store the concepts originally covered in the core module into the learners’ long-term memories.”

Keep it Continuous

The bottom line: to make compliance training as effective as possible in terms of reducing risk across the company, the learning nuggets you continuously rollout after the initial event (eLearning module, instructor-led training, etc.) are as important as the initial event itself. PharmaCertify offers the reinforcement tools, instructional expertise and an exciting new system that uses the most widely-accepted algorithm for creating and delivering post-training learning sprints to accomplish that goal. If you’re attending the 14th Annual Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress April 26-28, stop by Booth 10 to see demos of the products and platform, and ask how we can help reduce risk and strengthen the compliance culture in your company.

Thanks for reading and we’ll see you in Washington!

Sean Murphy, Product and Marketing Manager, PharmaCertify™

So Many Anticorruption Laws, So Little Training Time

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On January 12th, Zimmer Biomet reached a $30 million settlement with the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission over business activities in Mexico. A few days later, an $800 million multijurisdictional settlement was announced with Rolls-Royce. That case involved the United Kingdom, the United States and Brazil, with the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) taking the investigative lead. Clearly, enforcement agencies around the globe remain committed to aggressively investigating and pursuing bribery cases.

In years past, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) was the primary enforcement tool for anticorruption efforts around the world, and companies were wise to focus their resources on that legislation. As the Rolls-Royce settlement reminds us though, other countries are actively pursuing enforcement of their own laws. Simply covering the requirements of the FCPA in ABAC training is no longer practical or advisable.

Our clients are in the process of developing or strengthening their ABAC programs, and training is an important part of their efforts. With the overall volume of compliance training rising every year, we offer a few tips for maximizing the impact of ABAC training.

  1. Address common concepts one time. Training should be structured to first address the common concepts across all anticorruption laws. For example, most laws define a “bribe” and a “foreign official” similarly and most define the same type of actions as illegal. In addition, most laws do not absolve companies of responsibility of actions conducted by third parties. There is no need to cover each of these concepts in conjunction with each law. Doing so makes the content redundant, and only serves to make the training more cumbersome and frustrating for the learners. By presenting this common content from a wider perspective, in context of all bribery laws and principles, you establish a base of knowledge as the starting point, before delving into the particulars associated with each of the laws.
  2. Address specific laws individually. The nuances from country to country are plentiful and can be tricky. For example, learners need to know that the FCPA includes a “books and records provision,” and the UKBA punishes a company for failure to prevent bribery. After the common concepts are sufficiently covered, training then needs to address the specific aspects of each law, separately. Otherwise, those details will be lost in a sea of definitions or concepts that the learners were already presented in relation to other laws.
  3. Reinforce key concepts and laws via micro-learning. On-going reinforcement is key. When developing training plans, integrate micro-learning tools like mini modules and learning sprints (mini assessments) across the learner’s timelines. As an example, topics that affect how the learners conduct their daily business activities need to be addressed through scenario-based, more targeted tools, not just in the foundational training.

As the list of global anticorruption laws has multiplied, we’ve put the principles into practice and updated our Compliance Foundations™ module, Global Anticorruption Laws, with the content restructured to maximize learner engagement. If you’re in the process of developing, or updating, your global anticorruption training, we’re happy to share a content outline of our module and speak with you about our experience. Just contact my colleague Dan O’Connor at doconnor@nxlevelsolutions.com.

Thanks for reading!

Lauren Barnett
Compliance Content Specialist
PharmaCertify™ by NXLevel Solutions