A new trend in pharma support of CME?

From the CNNMoney.com article:

Pfizer Inc. (PFE), hoping to temper criticism that it's improperly influencing doctors, is eliminating direct financial support for medical-education courses that are offered by third-party companies.

The New York drug giant will continue to fund so-called continuing medical education, or CME, courses at academic institutions, teaching hospitals and those supported by medical societies. But it will no longer directly support CME courses offered by for-profit medical-education and communication companies.

Pfizer may continue indirect support for commercial CME companies as well. That's because the academic centers and medical associations that it supports may contract with CME companies, Clary said. "The distinction we're making is we're not directly paying them," she said.

Good news for academia and medical societies. What about the non-academic hospital systems? Click here to read the article. Hat tip to Pharmalot.