Alcon Science | United States

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MEDICAL EDUCATION

Independent Medical Education

Our Responsibility

The Independent Medical Education (IME) Grant Office cooperates with eye care delivery organizations, medical societies, and medical education organizations to advance the treatment of disease by narrowing practice gaps through support of independent continuing education. We are committed to supporting educational activities that seek to accelerate the translation of clinical science to quality patient care.

Image of a woman with a microscope

Goals and Initiatives

    Educational Goals

     

    The IME Grant Office will consider proposals that aim to address educational goals in the following categories:

    • Cataract surgery (fundamentals/basics, IOLs, workflow, visualization, and FLACS [femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery])
    • Keratorefractive surgery (treatment options, technology)
    • Vitreoretinal surgery (technology, techniques, DAVS [digitally assisted vitreoretinal surgery])
    • Glaucoma (disease state, treatment with prescription drugs, technology, visualization)
    • Contact lens & lens care (contact lens platforms, lens care solutions)
    • Ocular allergy (over-the-counter treatments for ocular itch associated with seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis)
    • Ocular surface health (diagnosis and management, management with artificial tears, understanding and managing inflammatory dry eye, understanding neuromodulation in dry eye)

    Educational Initiatives

     

    The IME Grant Office will consider grant proposals that support certified and noncertified medical education for eye care professionals. Priority will be given to educational initiatives that are:

    • Aligned with the current medical education goals of the IME Grant Office
    • Certified by an accredited medical education provider
    • Supported by multiple organizations (multi-supported)
    • Planned with a robust agenda that includes a hands-on educational learning opportunity (wet/dry lab)

    Grants Process

    The Process

     

    The Independent Medical Education Grant Office (IME) grant process consists of the following steps:

    • Eligibility
    • Grant submission
    • Grant office review
    • Post-decision
    • Post-activity

     

    Links to referenced documents:

     

    View Expanded Medical Education Grant Process Document ›

     

    Eligibility

     

    To determine eligibility for an educational grant from the IME Grant Office, please complete the online Eligibility Questionnaire.

     

    Questionnaire ›

     

    Polices and Guidelines

       

      Alcon abides by regulatory guidelines and ethical standards that govern support of continuing medical education, including but not limited to the following:

      • Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Commercial Support
      • Council on Optometric Practitioner Continuing Education (COPE) Standards for Commercial Support
      • The HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Compliance Program for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
      • AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Eye Care Professionals
      • FDA Final Guidance on Industry-Supported Scientific and Educational Activities

       

      In keeping with these guidelines and Alcon’s internal policies, the IME Grant Office will not:

      • Provide suggestions for topics and/or speakers for live programs or enduring materials
      • Review slides or other materials for clinical accuracy
      • Process applications received less than 8 weeks prior to the event or need

       

      IME Grant Office will not support grant applications:

      • that are linked to prescribing, purchasing, formulary status, or reimbursement
      • in which education is not the primary focus of the meeting
      • in which there are recreational activities and/or entertainment
      • in which there are non-modest meal functions and spouse or guest meals are covered
      • that cover overhead/operating costs, ie, the fixed cost of running a business (rent, utilities, etc), which cannot be attributed to a specific certified educational activity
      • solely for marketing campaigns including newspaper/TV/radio ads or public information spots and capital campaigns/building funds
      • for website development or mass media production
      • for patient education, vision screenings, health fairs, or open houses
      • for charitable contributions or fundraising events
      • to pay for equipment or service contracts
      • that are not within the therapeutic areas of interest to Alcon
      • to individuals for travel or meeting registration costs
      • for travel or study in a foreign country
      • to individual eye care professionals or private practice groups
      • for the purpose of practice development or staff training
      • for meetings for the purpose of referral or networking