CPD Program Certification

1. Appropriate scientific planning committee membership:

• Programs delivered in a single province require one active CFPC member from the province of delivery
• Nationally certified programs require three active CFPC members (two- and three-credit-per-hour programs, national online programs, programs delivered in more than one province, and programs delivered outside Canada)

2. All scientific planning committee members must complete and submit conflict of interest forms.

1. The program’s design and delivery must comply with the ethical requirements of the CFPC, including the National Standard for Support of Accredited CPD Activities and the Canadian Medical Association’s Guidelines for Physicians in Interactions with Industry.
2. Programs delivered in the province of Quebec must also comply with the Code of Ethics from the Conseil québécois de développement professionnel continu des médecins.

• Completion of an appropriate needs assessment. Refer to the Mainpro+ Certification Standards and Quick Tips: Needs Assessment.
• Inclusion of learning objectives for the program and for individual sessions (when applicable). Refer to Quick Tips: Writing Learning Objectives.
• Compliance of program design and delivery with the Mainpro+ Quality Criteria Framework.
• Program evaluation design that includes the mandatory CFPC evaluation questions.

Providers must submit these documents with their application for review:

• Completed conflict of interest forms (Declaring and Disclosing Conflict of Interest), for all scientific planning committee members
• Completed CFPC conflict of interest slides
• Program brochure and/or invitation and/or agenda
• Completed program content (slide decks, workbooks, tools, resources, etc.), when applicable
• Needs assessment tools and results
• Evaluation format/forms
• Previous evaluation results (when applicable)
• Speaker communication template (when applicable)
• Copies of the sponsor product and corporate branding if the program has for-profit financial support

1. Review the Mainpro+ certification application questions.
2. Submit the Mainpro+ certification application using the online CERT+ application platform.
3. Pay the application fee.

Program review commences once all CFPC scientific planning members have confirmed their involvement in the program’s development. Payment of the application fee does not guarantee Mainpro+ certification.

To ensure the focus of certified Mainpro+ CPD programming reflects the educational needs of family physicians—and not ancillary benefits such as meals, entertainment, and monetary rewards—the CFPC has instituted a formal ethical review process for all live certified Mainpro+ programs that have received for-profit financial or in-kind support and all activities delivered outside of Canada regardless of the type of support these programs receive.

CPD is an essential component of maintaining proficiency for family physicians. The CFPC recognizes there are many costs associated with planning, developing, and implementing educational events and programs. The CFPC and its local Chapters believe it is ethically acceptable for industry (pharmaceutical, biomedical, etc.) to contribute to CPD events as long as all contributions are at arm’s length and that all parties adhere to the guidelines presented in the Mainpro+ Certification Standards.

Ethical review ensures there’s compliance for the following items with CFPC certification standards and guidelines for ethical conduct as outlined by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Guidelines for Physicians in Interactions with Industry (2007) and the Innovative Medicines Canada Code of Ethical Practices (2016):

• Promotional materials, invitations to and correspondence with potential attendees, and all other published announcements
• Publicity in print or electronic media (including websites, blogs, email invitations, etc.)
• Session location or venue, meals, and entertainment or social events
• Costs to be assumed by attendees (e.g., registration and social events)
• Completed conflict-of-interest forms and slides for speakers at the session being reviewed

After receiving notification from the CFPC of program approval, but before offering an approved Mainpro+ program to physicians, planning providers must complete and submit the ethical review form along with ethical review fee payment using the CERT+ platform. Please allow at least 10 business days for the ethical review process.

In January 2017, the CFPC’s NCCPD approved maximum allowable costs associated with certified Mainpro+ sessions. Please refer to the Mainpro+ Certification Standards.

CERT+ is the CFPC’s online application system for Mainpro+ certification. CERT+ enables CPD providers to complete application forms online, upload all supporting documents, and make payments.

CERT+ allows providers to:

• Submit all application materials electronically (slide presentations, evaluations, etc.)
• Pay administrative fees online using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express
• Receive application status updates by email
• Respond quickly to reviewer feedback and questions online
• Track application progress online
• Complete ethical review submissions online

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