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If you haven’t yet registered for the 19th Annual Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Compliance Congress, there is still time to save $600 on the registration fee with our sponsor discount offer. Contact me at smurphy@nxlevelsolutions.com to ask about the details.
The conference kicks off Wednesday, November 7th at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington DC, and NXLevel’s PharmaCertify team will be there to catch up with friends and clients and showcase our newest compliance training products. If you’re attending, stop by Booth 108 in the Exhibit Hall (you can’t miss us, we’re right next to the food table and by the bar) to say hello and register for a chance to win an Echo Smart Speaker with Alexa!
You will also see us listening attentively throughout the panel sessions and presentations for the latest compliance best practices and suggestions from what is always an impressive list of industry professionals and government representatives. In addition to the keynotes and plenary sessions, PCF has packed the agenda with 27 different mini summits attendees can choose to attend. With that in my mind, we’ve once again scoured the agenda and highlighted a few of the presentations we’re looking forward to in particular.
Day 1: Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Preconference 1: Patient Support Programs: Risk and Risk Management Best Practices
Right out of the gate, PCF is offering attendees the choice of four compelling preconference sessions from 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. This Patient Support Programs session is offered as a “deep dive workshop” with timely talking points that include the most common manifestations or structures of Patient Support Programs (PAPs) and the best practices and approvals of the activities. A quick scan of recent corporate integrity agreements highlights the enforcement focus on PAPs, and kudos to PCF for wasting no time addressing it, with a panel that includes Nereyda Garcia from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and Nicole Serena from Bayer.
Keynote: OIG Update
Mary Riordan, Senior Counsel, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General for Office of Inspector General, returns for this highly-anticipated review of recent settlement actions and the OIG’s workplan for the upcoming year. From year to year, the presentation is considered one of the cornerstones of the conference as Ms. Riordan discusses the areas currently on the enforcement radar for her office.
Chief Compliance Officer Roundtable
The conference agenda doesn’t provide any details in terms of what topics the CCOs will cover but based on the level of panelist expertise and the fact that it’s scheduled for one hour and fifteen minutes, the roundtable is sure to provide a bevy of useable, first-hand lessons and advice. Panelists include Jill Fallows-Macaluso from Novo Nordisk, Indrani Lall Franchini from Alexion, Jonathan Kellerman of Allergan, Puja Leekha of Lundbeck, and Lori Queisser of Teva.
Networking Reception
The networking reception is a rare, can’t miss opportunity to meet with your peers face-to-face and exchange tips and ideas for strengthening and growing your compliance program. And don’t forget to visit the vendors while you’re in there. They bring a range of innovation and expertise to the industry… and you don’t want to miss those cool giveaways!
Day 2: Thursday, November 8, 2018
During the first half of Day 2, we hear from the government regulators, investigators, and prosecutors with three different sessions: the Assistant US Attorney Roundtable, FCPA Enforcement Update, and the Qui Tam Roundtable.
FCPA Enforcement Update
In light of the recent FCPA case settlement by Stryker, this session should provide interesting insight into the enforcement trend surrounding the Act. Will more cases surface? Is there a renewed focus on the life sciences industry? With panelists from the FBO, the DOJ, and formerly with the SEC, the conversation should prove to be enlightening and educational.
Mini Summit 1: Fostering a Culture of Ethics and Compliance Beyond Just the Laws and Regulations
The first of seven 11:00 AM mini summits, this session captured my attention for its interesting title. The debate over a rules-based approach to compliance versus a values-based approach is not new to the life sciences industry. I will be curious to hear, particularly from a training perspective, how this panel fosters a culture that emphasizes empowerment to always “make the right decision” while still communicating the need to follow the rules and the laws.
Mini Summit IV: Annual Medical Device Compliance Roundtable
This dedicated medical device session features Jonathan Glazier from Philips North America, Marc Levine of Insightec, Laura O’Donnell from GE Healthcare, and David Ryan of Epizyme discussing the topics unique to the industry. The medical device industry faces some of the same compliance issues as their pharmaceutical brethren, but the nature of the products and business process (e.g., reimbursement) present unique challenges. I am anxious to hear how these presenters address risk and strengthen their compliance cultures while facing those challenges.
Mini Summit VII: Compliance 3.0: Managing Promotional Programs, Relationships with Patient Advocacy Groups and New Entrants into the Marketplace.
That title to this session is a mouthful, but it invokes a promise of a forward-thinking approach to the content. Expect this impressive panel, which includes Terra Buckley of Celgene, Michael Clark of Indivior, and Sujata Dayal of Johnson & Johnson to offer bold suggestions beyond the current thinking for the pressing topics listed in the title.
Mini Summit X: Is Your Board of Directors Bored of Your Compliance Dashboards?
Okay, I admit it, the sessions with the creative names tend to catch and pique my interest. Thinking beyond the clever title though, this afternoon mini summit tackles the tricky subject of the board’s involvement and support of the company’s compliance program. It’s a topic that’s been of focus for regulators
Mini Summit XII: The Fine Line of Promotion with Medical Professionals: Avoiding White Coat Marketing
Since employees who interact with healthcare professionals face a high level of compliance risk, I will be interested to hear how the panelists, including Pamela Lonzer from Alexion, Margaret Sparks from Sanofi, and Ravi Taylor of Ferring, balance the business need for representatives and others to engage with those HCPs, while instituting safeguards to ensure compliance with company policies and regulations.
Mini Summit XXVII: The Compliance Training Revolution
PharmaCertify had the opportunity to sponsor the 3rd Annual Life Science Compliance Training Conference back in June (you can read our key takeaways here), and I came away from that conference pleased that the industry is clearly developing more innovative training with the intent to optimize the learning and create lasting results. It’s been our focus since we started developing compliance training 12 years ago, and I look forward to hearing more about the techniques the panelists utilize to accomplish that same goal.
Summary
Again, these are just a few of the many sessions PCF is offering at the 19th Annual Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Compliance Congress. We look forward to seeing you there and as always, I welcome your feedback on this preview and our blog in general. If you’re attending the conference, don’t forget to stop by the PharmaCertify booth (#108 in the Exhibit Hall) to say hello.
Thanks for reading and we’ll see you in Washington!