We believe in broader disclosure of financial relationships between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry. In 2008, Merck endorsed the Physicians Payment Sunshine Act, mandating disclosure of these financial relationships. Even in the absence of a legislative requirement, in October 2009, we began voluntarily disclosing all payments to U.S.-based health care professionals who speak on behalf of Merck or our products through Merck Medical Forums.

Merck Medical Forums are designed to deliver balanced medical and scientific information to health care professionals, helping to ensure patients have access to the medicines and vaccines they need and that the products are used correctly.

Speakers in the Merck Medical Forum program are selected based on their expertise in the subject matter on which they will be presenting. Many are recognized as medical or scientific leaders in their field. By attending a Merck Medical Forum, health care professionals participate in an interactive learning experience on relevant therapeutic and health care industry topics. The goal of these interactions is to help attendees achieve improved medical results for their patients.

Merck has adopted strict standards for conducting Merck Medical Forums, including complying with the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. They are also conducted in compliance with FDA regulations, which include ensuring that any product information that may be presented is appropriately balanced regarding the products' potential benefits and risks and is consistent with approved product labeling.

Additional information on this commitment and Merck Medical Forums can be found on the attached position paper.

	Merck's Position on Disclosure of Payments, Commitment to Quality Medical Education, and Policies and Guiding Principles for Medical Education Programs (PDF*)
	A list of topics addressed by Merck speakers (PDF*)

The content on this page was last modified on February 22, 2010.

Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, and Schering-Plough Corporation, Kenilworth, NJ, USA, are now one company. We have combined our global operations under the name Merck & Co., Inc. We are working to update our corporate responsibility Web site to reflect our new, combined, global organization.