Program Overview

• Needs Assessment
• Educational Objectives
• Target Audience
• Accreditation
• Commercial Support
• Disclosure Statement
• FDA Disclosure

Needs Assessment

From US Department of Health and Human Services News Release; Dated: October 14, 2004:

US Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, warned today in a new report that by 2020, half of all American citizens older than age 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis and low bone mass if no immediate action is taken by individuals at risk, doctors, health systems, and policymakers. This new report, "Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General," says that 10 million Americans over the age of 50 have osteoporosis, the most common bone disease, while another 34 million are at risk for developing osteoporosis. And each year, roughly 1.5 million people suffer a bone fracture related to osteoporosis, which significantly understates the true impact because it captures the problem at a point in time.

This report is the first-ever Surgeon General's report on the topic of bone health. Osteoporosis and other bone diseases, such as Paget's disease and osteogenesis imperfecta, can lead to a downward spiral in physical health and quality of life, including losing the ability to walk, stand up, or dress, and can lead, in the worst-case scenario, to premature death.
"This report will shape the way we approach, talk, and act about bone diseases," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "The more we learn, the more we realize that so many diseases are preventable, from obesity, to many types of cancer, and now bone disease. I want to thank Dr. Carmona and all the scientists and researchers who worked on this report. I look forward to the impact this new information will make in the health of communities."

Other findings in the report include:

• About 20 percent of senior citizens who suffer a hip fracture die within a year of fracture.
• About 20 percent of individuals with a hip fracture end up in a nursing home within a year.
• Hip fractures account for 300,000 hospitalizations each year.
• The direct care costs for osteoporotic fractures alone are already up to $18 billion each year. That number is expected to increase if action to prevent osteoporosis is not taken now.

"We all need to take better care of our bones," Dr. Carmona emphasized. "The good news is that you are never too old or too young to improve your bone health. With healthy nutrition, physical activity every day, and regular medical check-ups and screenings, Americans of all ages can have strong bones and live longer, healthier lives. Likewise, if it's diagnosed in time, osteoporosis can be treated with new drugs that help prevent bone loss and rebuild bone before life-threatening fractures occur."

According to the new report, osteoporosis is a "silent" condition because many Americans are unaware that their bone health is in jeopardy. In fact, four times as many men and nearly three times as many women have osteoporosis than report having the condition. One of the most dangerous myths about osteoporosis is that only women need to worry about bone health. Osteoporosis affects men and women of all races, and while bone weakness manifests in older Americans, strong bones begin in childhood.

The US Surgeon General's report is a call for health care providers and Americans to take action to improve and maintain healthy bones. Considering this call to action by the US Surgeon General, and the plethora of literature that has been published on fracture risk and bone health (see below), it is timely that Merck & Co., Inc., has provided an educational grant to develop a CME activity that will create awareness of the burden of osteoporosis and help physicians put the US Surgeon General’s recommendations into action in the managed care arena.

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Educational Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other medical professionals should be able to:

• Recognize the burden of fracture on society
• Review the US Surgeon General’s report on bone health and osteoporosis
• Review the pathophysiology of osteopenia and osteoporosis, and realize that these conditions are preventable
• Examine outcomes data from successful osteoporosis management programs
• Develop optimal management strategies for patients at risk for fracture
• Demonstrate best practice in support for NCQA HEDIS measurements

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Target Audience

This CME activity has been developed for health care professionals, managed care medical and pharmacy directors and other key managed care decision makers who wish to expand their knowledge of bone health and osteoporosis, and to enhance their role in the prevention and treatment of these conditions.

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Accreditation

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), CME Consultants, Inc., and Educational Awareness Solutions, a division of Suasion Group, LLC.

NCQA and CME Consultants, Inc., are accredited by the ACCME to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians.

For Physicians:
NCQA designates this continuing medical education activity for a maximum of 2.0 category 1 credits toward the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent on the activity.

For Nurses:
This program for 2.4 contact hours is provided by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, which is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

For Pharmacists:
CME Consultants, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for
Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
In order to receive credit for this activity, all participants must complete
the test and evaluation form.
This activity has been accredited for two contact hour (0.2 CEU). Once the
activity test and evaluation form have been completed, a Statement of Credit
will be issued through this website. There will be no fee for this activity.

ACPE #309-999-05-005-H04
Initial Release Date: December 2005
Planned Expiration Date: December 2006

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Commercial Support

This activity is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc.

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In direct response to the September 2004 Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Commercial Support, CME Consultants, Inc., issued a conflict-of-interest policy dated January 2, 2005. The policy states that the disclosure of potential financial conflicts of interest within the last 12 months must be made and resolved prior to the date of the CME/CE activity where commercial support grants are to be used to fund the activity. The following conflicts have been managed and resolved through CME Consultants, Inc.’s Independent Review Committee. Our intent is to assist learners in assessing the potential for bias in information that is presented during the CME/CE activity.

The faculty is also aware it is their responsibility to inform the audience if discussion of any non- FDA approved uses of pharmaceutical, medical equipment, prostheses, etc., will be included in their presentation.

Faculty have reported receiving something of value* from a company whose product may be germane to the content of their presentations.

*Something of value refers to any equity position, vested interest, receipt of royalties, consultantship, funding by a research grant, receiving honoraria for education services elsewhere, or to any other relationship to a company that provides sufficient reason for disclosure, in keeping with the spirit of the stated policy.

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The contents of some CME activities may contain discussions of non-approved or off-label uses of some of the agents mentioned. Please consult the prescribing information for full disclosure of approved uses.

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