A Commitment to Clarity & Trust

The following policies seek to clarify procedures related to the function of the MAPS organization and positions of the organization as it relates to the healthcare ecosystem and wider society.

Continuing Education Anti-Discrimination Policy

Intro

In conjunction with the MAPS in the development and offering of continuing education programs MAPS endorses diversity, supports equal rights, and does not advocate, support or practice discrimination based on race, religion, age, national origin, language, gender, sexual orientation, or mental or physical handicap, whether covered by applicable legislation or not, except where affirmative action may be required to redress individual or social handicaps of people from disadvantaged groups.

Purpose:

This document sets out

  • MAPS’ policy against such discrimination
  • The governance structures, responsibilities and processes that have been established to give effect to that policy

Policy:

MAPS does not advocate, support or practice discrimination in any continued education program offerings based on race, religion, age, national origin, language, gender, sexual orientation, or mental or physical handicap or any other personal attribute protected by law, except where affirmative action may be required to redress individual or social handicaps. This applies to all MAPS activities, including continuing education course development and offerings. MAPS will make all reasonable accommodations to allow people who experience difficulties in their dealings with the organization to benefit equally from its work.

Responsibilities:

The Board will:

  • Regularly review the leadership and commitment given to eliminating discrimination through active promotion of the organization’s Anti-Discrimination Policy in Continuing Education Program Development.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic management reports and assurances.

The CEO will ensure that:

  • The organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against discrimination in such areas as hiring, and continuing education program development and delivery;
  • Reasonable accommodations are made to allow diverse groups to access organization continuing education offerings;
  • Where appropriate, weight is given to the culture and experiences of individuals from disadvantaged groups.
  • Where appropriate, delegate responsibility for compliance to volunteers with responsibility for particular sections.
  • Oversee the performance of direct-reporting staff in these matters.
  • Review and report to the Board, as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to remove discrimination.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

All staff, volunteer members, content developers/presenters, and learners will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of the organization’s policy against discrimination;
  • Not behave in a manner that would be considered to be discriminatory pursuant to this policy or any applicable legislation;
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved so as to reduce the likelihood of discrimination occurring.

Processes:

The CEO will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

and instructors are made aware of the policy via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website, a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call, and are required to accept compliance with the policy via email confirmation acknowledgement.

Anyone may submit a notice of violation to MAPS in writing, using either the contact form on the MAPS Website, or by emailing info@medicalaffairs.org.

Any notice of non-compliance with the policy will be immediately reviewed. If a content developer/presenter/learner is deemed to not be in compliance with the policy in regards to the development, presentation, or learning of a MAPS continuing education offering, s/he will be advised of the infraction, and will be given one opportunity to immediately correct the infraction. If the infraction is not corrected forthwith or if a second violation occurs, the individual will be removed from the program. At that point:

If the individual is not a MAPS member, s/he will be permanently barred from participating in any MAPS content development and/or presentation. In addition, s/he will not be permitted to join MAPS at any point.

If the individual is a MAPS member, s/he will be permanently barred from participating in any MAPS content development and/or presentation. In addition, her/his MAPS membership will be immediately revoked with no possibility of dues reimbursement or future membership.

If the individual is a MAPS employee, her/his employment will be summarily terminated.

Continuing Education Mission Statement

In alignment with the overall organizational mission, the Professional Development Committee (PDC) of the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) provides high quality continuing education activities and services to develop and enrich the knowledge, skills, and capabilities of Medical Affairs professionals.

The PDC, under the direction of the MAPS Chief Medical Officer, includes the Domain Leads and Teams, Director of L&D, the Senior Advisor of Professional Development, the Continuing Education/Training (CE/T) Planner, the Learning and Development Excellence Team, and Focus Area Work Groups.

The PDC collaboratively:

  • Aligns educational activities with identified industry needs and gaps.
  • Develops guidelines to generate industry standards for Medical Affairs.
  • Highlights and communicates best practices that promote excellence across Medical Affairs functions.
  • Builds capabilities and provides a platform to support the skills and educational development of Medical Affairs professionals across the experience spectrum for beginners in the field to those who are well-seasoned.
  • Creates and provides accessible course offerings in a variety of formats, including in-person conferences, specialized training, virtual sessions, and self-paced eLearning.
  • Aims to ultimately improve patient outcomes through its talent development opportunities.

Course Content Policy

Intro

The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) is committed to ensuring that accredited courses are applicable to learners and the course content is reviewed for quality, currency, effectiveness, and applicability. This policy is to establish continuing education offerings of the highest quality to help the learner in his/her Medical Affairs development.

Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to make certain that MAPS’ continuing education course offerings are of the highest quality, are presented with current and applicable material, and training is effective to help the learner in his/her Medical Affairs’ professional development.

Policy:

To ensure quality curriculum development and conformity to requirements for currency, effectiveness and applicability are met, MAPS aligns and validates the content of our International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) aligned learning activities with the following standards. Specifically,

  1. MAPS designs, develops, and evaluates each IACET aligned course and learning materials in a thorough instructional design planning process as evidenced by a completed and approved CE Planning, Course Content and Sequencing, and Learning Environment and Accessibility This process, overseen by a Continuing Education/Training (CE/T) Planner and approved by the Director of Learning and Development, ensures sound instructional design is applied based on adult learning theory principles; and content is targeted for a specified audience based on a viable needs analysis.
  2. All course content recommendations involving clinical medicine, business acumen, leadership, data, and other subject matter related to medical affairs protocol and practices implemented must be evidence-based with adequate support and justifications supplied.
  3. Course content must be presented without industry (Pharma and Med Device) bias or proprietary information and reflect the industry overall.
  4. All scientific research referred to, reported, or used in an accredited course must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection and analysis.
  5. Scientific research and literature used as the major support references in a course and/or to justify the needs analysis and gaps assessment, must include those that represent the most current and accepted research or practice in the field.
  6. MAPS courses are not eligible for accreditation or provision of credits if they present activities that promote recommendations, treatment, or manners of practicing medical affairs that are known to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients. Courses will not advocate for unscientific modalities of diagnosis, technology, data collection or therapies.
  7. Courses must include formative and summative assessments to ensure learners are attaining the intended outcomes.
  8. Through a standardized evaluation form, each accredited course is reviewed immediately following the event to determine the achievement of intended learning outcomes. Subsequently, a course’s content will be modified and/or delivery methods will be adjusted if preliminary evaluations show learner outcomes are not being accomplished (ratings of 2.99 or lower on a 5-point Likert scale).

Responsibilities:

The Director L & D will:

  • Through active promotion of this policy, regularly review the leadership and commitment given to ensuring that the subject matter experts who develop and/or present content are of the highest level.
  • Ensure that the organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against infractions of policy.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic review of staff reports and evaluations.
  • Review, as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to ensure compliance with the policy.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

All MAPS staff, volunteers, educational content developers/planners and instructors at all levels will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of this policy and agree to adherence of this policy.
  • Not act in a manner that is contrary to the policy.
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved to reduce the likelihood of violation of the content policy occurring.

Processes:

The Director of L & D will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The Director L & D will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff are trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

Non-compliance:

Any notice of non-compliance with the policy will be immediately reviewed by the Continuing Education/Training (CE/T )Planner and Director of L&D. If a content developer/presenter is deemed to not be in compliance with the policy regarding the development, presentation, or learning of a MAPS continuing education offering, s/he will be advised of the infraction, and will be given one opportunity to immediately correct the infraction. If the infraction is not corrected forthwith or if a second violation occurs, the individual will be removed from the program and from any working group or team responsible for content and barred from participating in any current and future MAPS content development and/or presentation.

Diversity Equity Inclusion Policy

A Culture of Inclusion

The need for equity and inclusiveness in health care and society has never been greater. MAPS is firmly committed to embracing and fostering the diversity of our members, staff, organization, profession, and, ultimately, the patient communities we all serve. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are active processes that require continuous commitment to promote healthy people, healthy communities, and the overall success of present and future generations.

Value Statements:

We hold forth a vision of the Medical Affairs profession as one in which discrimination and conscious or unconscious bias is unwelcome and unacceptable. Efforts to support and promote equity, diversity, and inclusion must also address root causes of inequities, not just their manifestations. We must speak out and lead in order to ensure change.

MAPS believes that all who wish to be a part of the Medical Affairs community should have equal opportunity to pursue and attain success. We work towards a better future for all — not just through our medical and scientific expertise, but through how we inspire, engage, retain and advance future talent, and how we treat each other within and beyond the profession.

Solutions to today’s problems require both innovation and creativity. These are accelerated through diverse teams and and ways of thinking, by ensuring that all spaces are inclusive. MAPS is committed to nurturing an inclusive, respectful and welcoming environment where people of all backgrounds and identities are valued and respected and can achieve their full potential, regardless of:

  • race, ethnicity, or national origin;
  • religious or spiritual practice, or absence thereof;
  • sex, gender identity and expression, or sexual orientation;
  • family or relationship structure;
  • any type of disability or perceived disability, past or present;
  • age; and/or
  • any ascribed status, visible or invisible.

We encourage inclusion and intentional representation of people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, not only because it is ethical, but because it enhances the innovation and creativity necessary to find solutions to current and future challenges. We aim to eliminate disparities pertaining to gender and underrepresented minorities, recognizing that specific strategies will be required for specific groups and that we will need to combat long-standing narratives . We expect all members of our community to support and celebrate equity, diversity and inclusion.

Action Statements:

We aim to realize our values through or by:

  • Fostering a culture of open-mindedness, compassion, and inclusiveness among individuals and groups.
  • Actively building a community whose members have diverse cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences.
  • Providing effective leadership in the development, coordination, implementation and assessment of a comprehensive array of programs and services to promote diversity and understanding of differences.
  • Creating and maintaining opportunities for engagement, education, and discourse related to issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
  • Identifying and building awareness of competencies which are essential for creating environments enriched with diverse views and people.
  • Providing educational opportunities toward the development of socially responsible leaders who are willing to engage in the discourse and decision-making that can lead to transformational change.
  • Establishing and maintaining the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group to promote social justice and diversity in all Society activities.
  • Working alongside the DEI Working Group to especially include greater diversity of speakers and experts at our events and in our communications, including racial and gender diversity, LGBTQIA+ representation, and people of different ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and other underrepresented identities in the Medical Affairs community. This will involve not only expanding our outreach strategy for speaker/expert opportunities, but addressing internal factors such as the topics we cover, access barriers, and making our environments, both digital and physical, welcoming to diverse perspectives from our under-represented colleagues across the globe.
  • Reaching beyond the Society to establish beneficial relationships with individual and institutional partners who share mutual goals and interests.

Intellectual Property Policy

Intro

The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) is committed to high level legal and ethical standards in the conduct of our business. It is the policy of MAPS to compete fairly in the marketplace. This commitment to fairness includes respecting the intellectual property rights of our suppliers, customers, business partners, competitors, and others, including original equipment manufacturers and other independent service organizations. No MAPS officers, directors, employees, independent contractor, volunteers or agents should steal or misuse the intellectual property rights owned or maintained by another.

Purpose:

The purpose of this Policy is to help maintain MAPS’ reputation as a fair competitor, ensure the integrity of the competitive marketplace in intellectual property, and comply with the laws regulating intellectual property and industrial espionage.

Policy:

MAPS’ Intellectual Property

MAPS is committed to protecting its own intellectual property, such as information, processes, and technology, from infringement by others. MAPS’s informational tools are available at MAPS’ disposal because of significant investments of time and funds. If MAPS’ intellectual property is not properly protected, it becomes available to others who have not made similar investments. This would cause MAPS to lose its competitive advantage and compromise our ability to provide unique services to our customers.

MAPS’ intellectual property includes, but is not limited to, confidential MAPS business information, trade secret technology (such as computer software and systems and knowhow related to them), patented inventions and processes, trademarks and service marks, trade dress, content developed and copyrighted works. It is the responsibility of every MAPS employee and volunteer to help protect MAPS intellectual property. It is the responsibility of all MAPS employees and volunteers to foster and maintain awareness of the importance of protecting MAPS’s intellectual property.

Intellectual Property of Others

MAPS is committed to respecting the intellectual property of others. The rules with respect to intellectual property, including misappropriation of business information and trade secrets (e.g., computer systems, software, and related knowhow) and infringement of patents, trademarks and service marks, trade dress, and copyrights, are complex. As a result, any question should be brought to the attention of any MAPS employee who may seek expert advice from MAPS’ attorneys to address specific issues that arise with respect to our business. In many instances MAPS’ attorneys can perform searches for pre-existing patents, trademarks or service marks, evaluate business information, or copyrights and help avoid infringing conduct.

While collecting data on MAPS’s competitors, legal and ethical resources should be used to prevent the tainting of MAPS operations with the improper introduction of proprietary information of third parties. Violations of this could result in substantial civil and criminal penalties against the individual and MAPS for misappropriation of trade secrets. This could be avoidable through compliance with MAPS’s policies and consultation with MAPS’s attorneys.

It is not improper to accumulate information concerning competitors, and it is generally not unethical or illegal to make use of the information as part of our business. However, care must be taken by all MAPS volunteers, continuing education content developers, employees, independent contractors, and agents to utilize only legitimate resources to collect information concerning competitors and to avoid those actions which are illegal, unethical, or which could cause embarrassment to MAPS. When a situation is unclear, the individual should consult with MAPS CEO, who may in its discretion wish to further consult with its attorneys.

An individual may be bound by a nondisclosure obligation to the current or former employer. MAPS expects individuals to fulfill this obligation; individuals should refrain using in MAPS’s business any confidential information belonging to any current or former employers. MAPS does expect the use of information which is generally known and used in the industry.

Illustrative Examples

Following are examples of the types of activities that might constitute a violation of the laws protecting intellectual property or MAPS’s policies. In case of a similar situation, MAPS CEO must be contacted who will immediately review the issue and determine if a violation may/has occurred and will act accordingly to ensure that all participating individual/s are in compliance with this policy.

Copyright Infringement

  • Installing computer software on more than one computer system without a proper license.
  • Making or maintaining additional copies of computer software, including providing such copies to customers, without a proper license.
  • Copying a third-party’s documentation, technical manuals, or user manuals without permission.
  • Downloading information from a subscription database without permission.

Trademark, Patent, or Trade Dress Infringement

  • Adopting or using a slogan, name, or symbol for goods or services that is confusingly similar to a slogan, name, or symbol used by another.
  • Making or using a process, product, or device that incorporates patented ideas or features belonging to another.
    Failing to act upon notice or information that MAPS may be infringing on a patent belonging to another.
  • Using an overall look or design that is confusingly similar to the overall look or design of another’s product or service, and causing confusion in the minds of consumers as to who is the source of the product or service.

Trade Secret Infringement

  • Disclosing to others any information received in confidence from or protected from disclosure by a supplier, contractor, customer, current or former employer, or other third party.
  • Stealing, soliciting, or using the trade-secret information of another without written permission from the owner of the information.

DO NOT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY SOLICIT, OBTAIN, OR USE TRADE-SECRET INFORMATION BELONGING TO OTHERS FROM JOB APPLICANTS, NEW OR EXISTING MAPS EMPLOYEES, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, OR AGENTS, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS, SUPPLIERS, VENDORS, CUSTOMERS, OR OTHER THIRD PARTIES. IF YOU BECOME AWARE THAT ANY MAPS EMPLOYEE, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, OR AGENT MAY BE USING OR DISCUSSING TRADE SECRETS OF HIS OR HER CURRENT OR FORMER EMPLOYER OR ANOTHER THIRD PARTY IN HIS OR HER WORK FOR MAPS, YOU MUST CONSULT WITH MAPS MANAGEMENT IMMEDIATELY.

MAPS Trade Secrets

MAPS officers, directors, employees, independent contractors, volunteers, or agents should not disclose MAPS proprietary or confidential information to third parties with whom MAPS is doing business, such as suppliers, licensees, or consultants, except as specifically needed for the third party to perform the services or task requested. Such third parties should be provided information only on a “need to know” basis to allow them to perform the specific services or task requested. All disclosure of MAPS proprietary or confidential information may be made only after a confidentiality agreement is entered into with the third party.

Images/Photos

All photos/images used must either:

  • Have been created by MAPS constituents,
  • Have a purchased license,
  • Have written permission for use given by creator/copyright holder, OR
  • Be in the public domain

Responsibilities

The CEO will:

  • Through active promotion of this policy, regularly review the leadership and commitment given to Intellectual Property Rights.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic review of staff reports and evaluations.
  • Ensure that the organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against infractions of this policy;
  • Where appropriate, delegate responsibility for compliance to MAPS employees with responsibility for particular sections.
  • Review and report to the Board of Directors as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to ensure compliance with the policy.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

MAPS officers, directors, employees, independent contrators, volunteers, or agents will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of this policy and agree to adherence of this policy.
  • Not act in a manner that is contrary to the policy.
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved so as to reduce the likelihood of violation of the intellectual property policy occurring.

Processes:

The CEO will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy, and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The CEO will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff is trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

Non-Compliance:

Any notice of non-compliance with the policy will be immediately reviewed. If a content developer/presenter/learner is deemed to not be in compliance with the policy in regards to the development, presentation, or learning of a MAPS continuing education offering, s/he will be advised of the infraction, and will be given one opportunity to immediately correct the infraction. If the infraction is not corrected forthwith or if a second violation occurs, the individual and company will be removed from the program and barred from participating in any current and future MAPS content development and/or presentation.

Learner Records Security Policy

Intro

The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) is committed to ensuring the privacy and information security of learners’ records, including information input, maintenance, release, and issuance of learners’ records following learning event completion.

Purpose:

To describe the MAPS security and privacy intended to ensure the privacy of MAPS members and participants of MAPS’ continuing education offerings, as well as issuance of learners’ records following learning event completion.

Policy:

PRIVACY NOTICE

BY USING OR ACCESSING OUR WEBSITES OR BY PROVIDING PERSONAL INFORMATION TO US ON OR THROUGH OUR WEBSITES, YOU CONSENT TO THE COLLECTION, USE AND DISCLOSURE OF THAT INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS PRIVACY NOTICE.

GENERAL

This Privacy Notice sets forth the privacy practices and policies of the Medical Affairs Professional Society (“MAPS”). MAPS is committed to respecting and protecting your privacy and helping you make the most of your time on the Internet within a trusted environment. This MAPS Privacy Notice (“Privacy Notice”) governs our data collection, usage and services and applies to the Website www.stg-mapswordpress-mapswoocomm.kinsta.cloud and all sub-domains of this Website (e.g. community.stg-mapswordpress-mapswoocomm.kinsta.cloud, lms.stg-mapswordpress-mapswoocomm.kinsta.cloud).

This Privacy Notice discloses how we collect, protect, use and share personal information gathered about you on our websites. “Personal information”, is any information that enables us to identify you, directly or indirectly, by reference to an identifier such as your name, identification number, location data, online identifier or one or more factors specific to you.

If you use our websites, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the processes and policies referred to in this Privacy Notice. We hope that this disclosure will help increase your confidence in our websites and enhance your experience on the Internet.

For the purposes of the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (the “GDPR”), the “data controller” is the Medical Affairs Professional Society registered in Colorado, USA with a registered address at 602 Park Point Drive, Suite 225, Golden, CO 80401.

PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE TO UNDERSTAND:

Information We Collect
Site Use Information
Use of Cookies
Information You Provide to Us
Social Networking Activities
Financial Transactions
How We Use Your Personal Information
Opting Out of Communications
Security
Links to Other Websites
Child Privacy
Access from Outside the United States
How Long We Store Your Personal Information

Learner Records Issuance and Release
Your European Privacy Rights
Governing Law
Changes to this Privacy Notice
Contact

INFORMATION WE COLLECT

The following information describes the types of personal and other information we may collect about you, and how we use and maintain that information.
SITE USE INFORMATION

Our web servers collect technical information relating to visitors to our websites, including the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform.

We may also collect information about your visit, including pages you viewed or searched for, page response times, download errors, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, and mouse-overs) and methods used to browse away from the page.

This information may be aggregated to measure the number of visits, average time spent on a website, pages viewed, etc. We use this information to measure the use of our websites and to improve the content we offer. We may share with third parties anonymized experiential information or other data on an aggregated basis without the use of any information that personally identifies you.
USE OF COOKIES

Like most websites, we employ “cookies” or similar technologies on certain pages of our websites. Cookies make the use of our websites easier by, among other things, saving your preferences. We may also use cookies to deliver content tailored to your interests. For detailed information on the cookies, we use and the purposes for which we use them contact info@medicalaffairs.org.
INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE TO US

By providing personal information through our websites, you explicitly agree to our collection and use of that information as described in this Privacy Notice.

We may collect and process the following personal information:

Contact information, which you provide when corresponding with us by phone, e-mail or otherwise. This includes information you provide when you interact with the website in ways including but not limited to participating in online surveys, registering for meetings, participating in conference programs, and submitting information, including on any MAPS web-based forms. The information you give us may include your name, address, e-mail address, phone number, financial information and/or

credit card information.

Profile information, provided when you utilize some portions of our websites. We may require that you register and provide us with your contact information and generate a password. This registration information may be used, for example, for identification purposes, to communicate with you regarding your account with us or to facilitate the functioning of our websites. If you provide us with a telephone number, you expressly agree that we, or our authorized agents, can use that number to contact you about your account. If you provide us with your email address, you agree that we, or our authorized agents, can send you emails about your account.

Membership information, about your membership with MAPS including your name, contact details such as address, phone number and email address (business or personal), job title), year of admission and any other information related to your membership. Membership information may be provided by you during the registration process, or by your employer on your behalf.

Purchase information, relating to purchases made by members and non-members. Purchases may include event registration, advertising, job postings, either in-person or via our website. Purchase information will include partial financial information (credit card type and last four digits of the card number) as well as information concerning the item purchased and time of the purchase.

Peer review information, relating to peer review programs conducted. This may include personal information including affiliation and email address.

Third party information. Should you provide any personal data relating to third parties you confirm that you have the permission of such third party to do so.
SOCIAL NETWORKING ACTIVITIES

Our websites include the ability for you and other users to link to social networking websites. As a result, we receive information about you when you choose to post or otherwise share information about our websites on these social networking websites. We may use such information about you in a variety of ways, including to administer a website and enhance your experience with a website and to communicate with you about a website and new offerings or activities associated with the website.
FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS

When you engage in any financial transaction through our websites, you will be asked to provide certain financial information, such as your credit card and billing address. Financial information is used to bill the user for products and services and then is deleted from our records in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS).
HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We use your personal information according to the terms of the Privacy Notice in effect at the time of our use. We will only process your personal information, including sharing it with third parties, where (1) you have provided your consent which can be withdrawn at any time, (2) the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party (including your membership agreement with us), (3) we are required by law, (4) processing is required to protect your vital interests or those of another person, or (5) processing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate business interests, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.

We use personal information for the following purposes:
Site Use Information – we will use this information:

· to administer our websites and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes.

· to improve our website to ensure that content is presented most effectively for you and your computer.

· as part of our efforts to keep our websites safe and secure.

· to make suggestions and recommendations to you and other users of our website about goods or services that may interest you or them.

· Information you provide to us – we will use this information:

o to carry out our obligations arising from your membership and any other agreement entered into between you and us and to provide you with the information, products, and services that you request from us.

o to update and renew your membership as required.

o to arrange and deliver conferences, events, and programming relevant to your specialist area and topics of interest.

o to respond to your questions and provide related membership services.

o to provide you with information about other events, reports, newsletter subscriptions we offer that are similar to those that you have already requested, provided you have not opted-out of receiving that information.

o to securely input and hold learner records for seven years.

o to securely release and issue learner records, in the form of a certificate of completion or transcript, via your MAPS email address, through the secure LMS, and/or through the MAPS secure YM database following the completion of a learning event.

o to provide you, or permit selected third parties to provide you, with information about other events, reports, or newsletter subscriptions we feel may interest you, provided you have given your consent; and

o to notify you about changes to our membership or related services.

o to engage members in advocacy campaigns.

OPTING OUT OF COMMUNICATIONS

If you no longer want to receive emails from MAPS on a going-forward basis, you may opt out of receiving emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the email you receive. Additionally, you may opt out of postal mailings by contacting the info@medicalaffairs.org. If you are having difficulty unsubscribing using the above methods, please contact us directly at the email or phone number listed below under Contact.

Please allow ample time for us to process your request. However, please note that even if you opt-out of receiving emails, we will send you service-related communications (such as your membership) and may need to keep the information we have collected about you for record-keeping, research, and other purposes.
SECURITY

To help protect the privacy of data you transmit through our websites, where personal information is requested, we use technology designed to encrypt the information that you input before it is sent to us. In addition, we take steps to protect the user data we collect against unauthorized access. However, you should keep in mind that the websites are run on software, hardware and networks, any component of which may, from time to time, require maintenance or experience problems or breaches of security beyond our control.

Please also be aware that despite our best intentions and the guidelines outlined in this Privacy Notice, no data transmission over the Internet or encryption method can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

While we take steps to protect your personal information and keep it secure, you also play a role in protecting your information. You can help to maintain the security of your online transactions by not sharing your account information and password with anyone. MAPS cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us or from our websites, and therefore you use our websites at your own risk.
LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES

Our websites may contain links to other websites. However, this Privacy Notice only addresses MAPS’s use, and disclosure of your information collected on our websites, if any. While we try to link only to websites that share our standards and respect for privacy, we are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third parties or the content of linked websites. We encourage you to read the applicable privacy policies and terms and conditions of such parties or websites.

CHILD PRIVACY

We will not knowingly collect or use any personal information from any child under the age of 18. It is not our intention to collect personal information from anyone under 18 years of age. If we become aware that we have collected any personal information from children under the age of 18, we will promptly delete such information from our databases.
ACCESS FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

If you access the website from outside of the United States, information that we collect about you will be transferred to servers inside the United States, which may involve the transfer of information out of countries located in the European Economic Area. By allowing us to collect information about you, you consent to such transfer and processing of your data.
HOW LONG WE STORE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We will only retain your personal information, in a form which permits us to identify you, for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for. We will retain and use your personal information as necessary to satisfy any legal, accounting or reporting requirements, to resolve disputes or to enforce our agreements and rights. In line with this notice, we will either securely delete or anonymize your personal information so that it cannot be linked back to you.

LEARNER RECORDS ISSUANCE AND RELEASE

Learner records for International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) aligned activities are stored for seven years from participation in the learning event. The release and issuance of learner records occurs through the following methods:

in the form of a certificate of completion and/or transcript via the individual learner’s MAPS secure member profile in the YM database following the completion of a learning event; or, on rare occasion through a learner’s email or through the secure LMS.

MAPS members/learners may access the learning transcript and/or certificate of completion in their MAPS profile at will anytime 24/7 once their attendance and criteria for earning IACET CEUs have been reconciled in their profile. Learners will be notified of the availability of these documents via email through their email supplied to MAPS. For eLearning courses, this occurs immediately upon successful completion of a course. For attendance at live events, this occurs within 10 business days following the learning event.

GOVERNING LAW

By choosing to visit our websites or provide information to us, you agree that any dispute over privacy or the terms contained in this Privacy Notice will be governed by the law of the State of Colorado. You also agree to abide by any limitation on damages contained in our Terms of Use, or other agreement that we have with you.

CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY NOTICE

We may occasionally amend this Privacy Notice to reflect company and customer feedback, and we reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Notice at any time. The use of your information is subject to the Privacy Notice and Terms of Use in effect at the time of use. The provisions contained in this Privacy Notice supersede all previous notices or policies regarding our privacy practices with respect to our websites. We encourage you to check frequently to see the current Privacy Notice to be informed of how MAPS is committed to protecting your information and providing you with improved content on our websites in order to enhance your experience.

CONTACT

If you have any questions or comments regarding our Privacy Notice or our Websites, please contact us at info@medicalaffairs.org, by phone at +1 303.495.2073 or send a letter to:

Medical Affairs Professional Society
602 Park Point Drive, Suite 225
Golden, CO 80401
United States.

This Privacy Notice may be changed at any time without notice. By using our website, you acknowledge acceptance of this Privacy Statement in effect at the time of use. Last Reviewed: October 25, 2022.

GENERAL WEBSITE DISCLAIMER

Information, services and/or other features contained in this website are being provided for general educational and informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for independent medical judgment or constitute case-specific medical advice or treatment in any way. Such information, services and/or features are not intended to serve as the primary basis for making personal or professional medical decisions, nor are they intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to making any treatment or diagnosis decisions. You should confirm any information obtained from this site with other sources before undertaking any treatment or otherwise taking any actions relating thereto. Any reliance on any information, services or other features contained in this site is solely at your own risk.

The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) intends that the information contained in this site to be accurate. However, errors sometimes occur. Therefore, MAPS disclaims any warranty of any kind, whether expressed or implied, as to any matter whatsoever relating to this service, including without limitation merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. In no event shall the MAPS be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of any use of or reliance on any content or materials contained herein.

MAPS does not assume and hereby disclaims any and all liability to any person or entity for any claims, damages, liability, or other loss including, without limitation, any liability for injury or other damage resulting from any use of or reliance on this service or from the posting of any content or material by any third party. No use of, or reliance on, any materials included in this site shall be deemed to give rise to a physician-patient relationship. No material included in this site shall be deemed to present the only or necessarily the best method or procedure with respect to a matter discussed on this service; rather, any such material shall be acknowledged as only the approach or opinion of the discussant. The users assume all risks of using the materials included in this site.

COPYRIGHT PROPRIETARY NOTICES

“MEDICAL AFFAIRS PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY”, “MAPS”, and the MAPS logo are trademarks of the MEDICAL AFFAIRS PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY (“MAPS”). Use of these marks in commerce other than as “fair use” is prohibited by law except by obtaining the express written permission of the MAPS.
GENERAL COPYRIGHT POLICY

Copyrights to the materials included in this website are owned solely by MAPS, except for materials which are created by others (or the copyright to which is otherwise owned by others) and for which a copyright notice is posted adjacent to such content or materials. The copyright to each item of material created or otherwise owned by another is owned by such creator or other owner. None of the materials included in this site may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of MAPS, the creator or other owner, as the case may be. In this regard, the graphic images and layout of this site are the exclusive property of MAPS and may not be copied, distributed, or displayed except using an HTML browser or as otherwise stated herein, without the expressed written permission of MAPS. For general copyright permission requests, please email info@medicalaffairs.org.

DISCLOSING INFORMATION TO THIRD PARTIES
We will not share, rent, sell, or otherwise disclose any of the personal information that we collect about you through our websites, except in any of the following situations:

• You request or authorize the release of your personal information.

• We may disclose information that we collect about you to our third-party contractors and payment processors who perform services for us in connection with the websites or to complete or confirm a transaction or series of transactions that you conduct with us. We may also disclose information to service providers or suppliers if the disclosure enables that party to perform business, professional or technical support for us.

• We may disclose information about you to comply with the law, applicable regulations, governmental and quasi-governmental requests, court orders or subpoenas, to enforce our Terms of Use or other agreements, or to protect our rights, property or safety or the rights, property or safety of our users or others (e.g., to a consumer reporting agency for fraud protection). We reserve the right to release information that we collect to law enforcement or other government officials, as we, in our sole and absolute discretion, deem necessary or appropriate.

• We may share aggregated or anonymous information that cannot identify you with third parties. For example, we may disclose the number of visitors to our websites or the number of people who have downloaded a particular document.

We will only transfer your personal information to trusted third parties who provide sufficient guarantees in respect of the technical and organizational security measures governing the processing to be carried out and who can demonstrate a commitment to compliance with those measures.

Responsibilities:

The CEO and the Director L & D will:

  • Through active promotion of this policy, regularly review the leadership and commitment given to ensuring adherence to this policy.
  • Ensure that the organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against infractions of policy.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic review of staff reports and evaluations.
  • Review, as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to ensure compliance with the policy.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

All MAPS staff, volunteers, educational content developers/planners and instructors at all levels will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of this policy and agree to adherence of this policy.
  • Not act in a manner that is contrary to the policy.
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved to reduce the likelihood of violation of the content policy occurring.

Processes:

The CEO will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The CEO will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff are trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

MAPS Anti-trust Compliance Policy and Guidelines

Purpose:

The purpose of this document is to educate MAPS members about the federal antitrust laws that are applicable to trade association activities, and to serve as a basic guide to assist MAPS and its members in conducting MAPS meetings and activities in conformity with these laws.

Policy:

It is the policy of MAPS to comply strictly with all laws that relate to the conduct of its activities, including the antitrust laws of the United States. All MAPS members, officers, and staff must familiarize themselves with the MAPS “Antitrust Guidelines,” and shall agree to conform all MAPS sponsored meetings and activities, in strict accordance with the Guidelines. The Guidelines shall be updated and revised as appropriate by the MAPS Board in consultation with counsel. The Guidelines are intended to provide basic guidance on the antitrust laws that may be applicable to MAPS activities. Counsel should be consulted in all cases involving specific situations, interpretations or advice. A MAPS staff member or counsel shall attend all meetings, and counsel shall attend any meeting in which issues with antitrust implications are expected to be discussed.

ANTITRUST GUIDELINES

Overview of the Antitrust Laws

The antitrust laws are intended to foster and protect competition. As such, the laws prohibit particular anticompetitive activities, and more generally those that are deemed to unreasonably restrain trade. Agreements among competitors are inherently suspect under the antitrust laws. Therefore, while the purpose of MAPS is to promote the exchange of ideas and developments in the global online commerce and thereby foster competition among industry participants, group activities of competitors–such as those conducted by a trade association–are inherently suspect under the antitrust laws. For this reason, MAPS has developed these Antitrust Guidelines to provide a general overview of antitrust laws and specific guidelines to assist MAPS in conducting its activities in conformity with antitrust laws.

Sherman Act

The basic statutes that are applicable to trade associations are the Sherman Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act. The Sherman Act prohibits “contracts, combinations or conspiracies in restraint of trade or commerce.” Taken together, the contract, combination or conspiracy requirement has been found to exist where there is some form of agreement between two or more parties. Such agreements may be explicit, e.g., taking the form of a contract or other oral or written communication, or implicit, e.g., implied by the conduct of the parties and construed to indicate an agreement was formed.

In most cases, the prohibitions of the Sherman Act extend only to transactions that are found to be unreasonable restrictions on competition. Hence, courts examine the “reasonableness” of the restraint involved in light of all the relevant circumstances. In applying this “Rule of Reason” to alleged anticompetitive business activities, the courts conduct an extensive economic analysis of the alleged restraint on trade, the business context in which it arose, its purpose and probable anticompetitive effects, and the business or economic justification for the restraint. The categories of per se violations are discussed below.

Certain activities, however, are deemed unlawful without a detailed examination of their context or effects on competition and constitute “per se” or automatic violations of the Sherman Act.

Federal Trade Commission Act

Section 5 of the FTC Act prohibits “unfair methods of competition” and “unfair or deceptive acts or practices.” The FTC Act’s broad enforcement provision empowers the Commission to determine the meaning of “unfair.” In addition, activities considered illegal under the Sherman Act also are generally unlawful under Section 5 of the FTC Act. Furthermore, Section 4 of the FTC Act empowers the FTC to take action against “incipient” unfair practices; that is, conduct which does not yet amount to–but is likely to lead to–a violation of the other antitrust statutes.

Enforcement and Penalties

The U.S. Department of Justice, states, and private parties harmed by the anticompetitive conduct of others may bring suit for violations of the Sherman Act. Enforcement of the FTC Act is vested exclusively in the FTC. Violations of the Sherman Act may result in both criminal and civil penalties. In addition, private plaintiffs may recover three times the amount of damages suffered, plus the costs of bringing suit, including attorneys’ fees.

In the past, not only organizations but also their officers and directors have been found criminally and civilly liable for antitrust violations. In addition to the strict penalties associated with antitrust violations, the courts and the FTC have ordered the dissolution of associations found to engage in anticompetitive practices. Therefore, it is imperative that all MAPS members, officers and staff take all appropriate measures to minimize the risk of antitrust violations.

General Antitrust Guidelines

This section describes types of activities and practices that courts have found to constitute violations of the Sherman Act. MAPS officers, staff and members must take extreme care to avoid even the appearance of engaging in these types of activities, as well as any others which could be construed as having an anticompetitive intent or purpose. Attached to these Guidelines is an Antitrust Reminder that may serve as a “checklist” for MAPS to circulate to members on a regular basis and prior to meetings, perhaps by furnishing a copy with the meeting agenda.

Per se violations have traditionally included agreements among competitors that have the purpose and effect of “fixing prices,” “allocating territories,” or “boycotting third parties.” Under the antitrust laws, “price fixing” includes much more than an agreement to set prices at a particular level, within a specific range, or in accordance with a particular formula. It potentially includes any agreement that tends to raise, fix, stabilize or otherwise affect price. Thus, even if the parties permit the price to vary somewhat under the agreement, the agreement is illegal if it has the effect of stabilizing the price among those participating in the conspiracy. Similarly, price fixing includes agreements to control other factors that directly or indirectly affect price, such as establishing production levels, setting uniform discounts, credit or warranty terms, or agreeing on matters relating to costs, especially when those costs account for a substantial percentage of the final price.

At no time shall any discussion or agreement among MAPS members take place regarding product prices, price changes, supply and demand for products or raw materials, or any other subjects bearing on product pricing.

Territorial or market allocation involves an agreement among competitors operating at the same level of the market structure–such as manufacturers, distributors, etc.–to divide the market in such a way as to allow each party to the agreement to serve its share of the market without competition from the others. Such prohibited allocations in the past have been made on the basis of geographical boundaries or particular types of customers.

No discussions or agreements shall take place concerning allocation or division of markets or geographical or other restrictions on representatives, distributors or other customers of MAPS members’ products.

Group boycotts or “refusals to deal” are considered per se violations in certain instances. Agreements or collective action to refuse to deal with certain suppliers, customers, or other competitors, or to undertake actions that tend to exclude certain participants from the marketplace or deny them access to a significant competitive benefit available to others in the market are prohibited. Before the per se rule is applied, however, several factors are considered, such as whether the activity was undertaken for an anticompetitive purpose, whether the group possesses market power, and whether it holds exclusive or unique access to a business element necessary for effective competition.

In the trade association context, group boycott issues may arise in relation to membership or exhibition restrictions, or in disciplinary or expulsion action against members. Because these situations must be analyzed closely in accordance with strictly defined legal guidelines, counsel should be notified prior to MAPS’ consideration of any of these actions.

MAPS members shall not engage in any discussion or agreement concerning particular representatives, distributors, other customers, or suppliers involving decisions to deny, limit or terminate business relations between any MAPS member and such firms. Also, counsel shall be notified prior to any discussion by MAPS concerning restricting or denying membership or exhibition space to any nonmember firm that competes in the industry.

In addition to the issues described above, other antitrust problems may arise where trade association activities are undertaken which may have anticompetitive effects on non-members. Particular guidelines must be followed before undertaking any association project, such as an industry survey or other statistical program, or petitioning industry or government organizations on matters that may have a competitive impact on non-members. Accordingly, counsel must be contacted before discussing or planning these programs.

Don’ts

Do Not–in fact or appearance–discuss or exchange information with actual or potential competitors regarding any of the following matters, either on the MAPS website, during MAPS sponsored meetings or gatherings or otherwise discuss or exchange:

  • Individual company prices, price changes, price differentials, mark-ups, discounts, warranties, allowances, credit terms, costs, production levels, capacity, sales, etc.
  • Plans of individual companies concerning the design, production, distribution or marketing of particular products, including proposed territories or customers.
  • Division or limitation of sales to particular territories, customers or classes of customers.
  • Refusal to sell to or purchase from, or termination or modification of sales or purchase arrangements with representatives, distributors, or other third parties, or prices or terms of sale or resale by customers.
  • Industry pricing policies, price levels, price changes, or differentials
  • Matters relating to actual or potential individual suppliers or customers that might exclude them from any market or of influencing the business conduct of firms toward such suppliers or customers.
  • Limiting or eliminating competition in any way, or efforts to create a monopoly.
  • MAPS Membership, denial of membership, or expulsion of members other than in formal meetings with the participation of counsel
  • Do not discuss or exchange information regarding the above matters during MAPS events or communications through MAPS sponsored message boards or at MAPS sponsored meetings, even in jest.

DOs

  • Before meetings, prepare and have counsel review agendas of particular items to be discussed at meetings and adhere to the agenda unless additional matters for discussion have been approved in advance by MAPS staff or counsel.
  • Ensure that draft meeting minutes are promptly prepared after each meeting, reviewed by counsel, and then circulated to members present at the meeting to determine that the minutes accurately reflect the proceedings.
  • Protest any discussions or meeting activities that appear to violate the antitrust laws or the MAPS Antitrust Compliance Policy and Guidelines; disassociate yourself from any such discussions or activities and leave any meeting in which they continue. Be sure that MAPS staff and counsel are made aware of any such activities.

Processes:

The CEO will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The CEO will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff are trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

MAPS Non-promotion and Conflict of Interest Policy

Introduction:

This policy applies to all content whether generated by MAPS member companies or by vendors of goods and services that can be used by MAPS or any of its individual or institutional members.

MAPS educational content should be presented in a neutral manner that does not “promote” a specific company, product, or service.

A good general rule to follow for non-promotional content is: The audience should be able to apply the learning to any situation, even those that do not include or require the use of a specific company/product/service.

Purpose:

MAPS seeks to ensure quality content across all media types to provide value to MAPS members and the wider Medical Affairs community. The actuality or appearance of conflicts of interest (COI) or promotional intent by authors/contributors detracts from the substance of these materials. Thus, it is the purpose of this policy to ensure all contributors work in good faith to provide valuable education, information and insights without using MAPS content as a vehicle for self- or organizational promotion.

Definitions:

Promotional Materials:Promotional materials are those recommended or creating a perception of to recommend, e.g. through branding or logo on presentation materials, a specific product or service either as a sole recommendation or as a clear leader in a list of product/service options. Promotional intent may be conveyed in written, visual, audio or any other media format.

Examples:

  • An Elevate article written with a solution provider co-author referencing the solution provider’s company/product/service as the clear leader.
  • A Webinar, eLearning module, workshop slides etc. in which presenters use company/product/service-branded video backgrounds.
  • A podcast in which a guest offers a case study demonstrating the superiority of his/her company’s specific product/service.

Non-Promotional Materials:

Non-promotional materials provide valuable educational content without recommending or seeming to recommend a specific product or service.

Examples:

  • An Elevate article written with a solution provider co-author that leverages the solution provider’s expertise to offer valuable, topic-relevant insights while including the company/product/service as an illustrative example among other options
  • A Webinar in which presenters include their company titles in their introductions and first slides, but without company branding
  • A podcast in which a guest describes his/her topic-relevant experience without using the discussion to drive interest in a company/product/service.

Policy:

This policy applies to items mentioned below and to any other content issued through MAPS.

Disclosures regarding content for presentations:
The following information will be published along with all MAPS deliverables:

  • Content Authorship Disclosures: Name, photo, title, company, and, academic designations per content developer/presenter (e.g., MD, PharmD).
  • Conflicts of Interest Disclosures: All content developers are required to complete Conflict of Interest statements and advise the audience of such accordingly. Any disclosures will be noted in both marketing materials and presentations for IACET aligned courses and at presentations only for non-accredited presentations.

Use of Proprietary Technology Platforms in Case Study Demonstrations:

MAPS recognizes the unique nature of visual presentations where demonstration of platforms and inclusion of case studies is central to the content of any deliverable. However, to avoid promoting, or the appearance of promotion, of any company’s proprietary platform, product, and/or service, the following are required:​

The example or case study of the proprietary platform, product and/or service should ideally be presented by someone who is notan owner or agent of the company who offers the platform/product/service, or at minimum should be co-presented with an industry member or subject matter expert who is not an owner or agent of the company who owns the platform/product/service and:

  • If the presentation is showing the use of only one (1) platform in the presentation, the presentation may notjust be a demonstration of that platform. Rather, it must reference the tool in the context of a broader discussion of competency/capability development.
  • If the presentation is showcasing multiple platforms to educate the audience on available technologies, it must include at least two different products from different companies, describe the platforms in a balanced manner, giving equal time to each platform optionand be based on current science, evidence, and clinical reasoning
  • Wherever possible, use of generic phrases for the technology instead of proprietary brands should be made.​
  • When responding to specific questions from the audience about the technology demonstrated/mentioned no company name or proprietary brand will be mentionedor mention will be made of at least one competitor’s products with similar capabilities.
  • No references will be made to “our products”​.

Conference Workshops, Panels or Training Programs (virtual or in-person):

MAPS does  not offer company “sponsored” workshops at its conferences/events. Thus, MAPS has a strict policy on corporate branding, and workshops and panels should not be deemed promotional in nature:

  • Discussing company products is not allowed, unless fair and balanced presentation of competing products or services is also included.
  • Logos of facilitators’ companies are permitted only on the secondary title slide in conjunction with the facilitators’ names, title and company.
  • Evaluations will be completed by workshop participants and low scores on the objective (i.e., non-promotional) nature of the workshop could factor into future invitations to present at MAPS events.

Sponsored Podcasts:

MAPS offers podcasts to Partner Circle member (PCM) companies. A notice of the podcast sponsorship must be disclosed to the audience in all marketing materials and shhared verbally with the audience at the beginning of the podcast

Partner Circle Member (PCM)-led Webinars:

MAPS offers PCM companies to host a webinar. A notice of the webinar sponsorship must be disclosed to the audience In all marketing materials and on the first slide of the webinar.

Responsibilities:

The CEO and Director L & D will:

  • Through active promotion of this policy, regularly review the leadership and commitment given to Non-Promotion and Conflict of Interest Disclosure.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic review of staff reports and evaluations
  • Ensure that the organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against infractions of this policy;
  • Review and report to the Board of Directors, as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to ensure non-promotional nature in all MAPS issued content.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

MAPS officers, directors, employees, independent contrators, volunteers, or agents otherwise will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of the organization’s policy and agree to adherence of this policy.
  • Not act in a manner that is contrary to the policy.
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved so as to reduce the likelihood of discrimination occurring.

Processes:

The CEO will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy, and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The CEO will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff is trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

Non-Compliance:

Any notice of non-compliance with the policy will be immediately reviewed. If a content developer/presenter is deemed to not be in compliance with the policy in regards to the development, presentation, or learning of a MAPS continuing education offering, s/he will be advised of the infraction, and will be given one opportunity to immediately correct the infraction. If the infraction is not corrected forthwith or if a second violation occurs, the individual and company will be removed from the program and from any working group or team responsible for content and barred from participating in any current and future MAPS content development and/or presentation.

Privacy Policy

When you sign up for a MAPS event, newsletter, membership, or online content, you give us certain information voluntarily. This may include your name, email address, region, and any other information you provide voluntarily through the specific form. MAPS will only use this information to contact you with future events and resources, which you may opt out of at any time. MAPS will not provide your information to third parties without your explicit permission.

MAPS may also record live virtual or in-person events. By attending a MAPS event, you are aware and give MAPS permission to post and promote recordings of the event including, but not limited to, portions of the event that may include your participation.

Qualified Content Developer Policy

Purpose:

The purpose of this Policy is to ensure MAPS’ reputation as the premier professional development organization for Medical Affairs professionals by ensuring that the quality, experience, academic training, and professional credentials of subject matter experts who create and/or present content is at the highest level.

Policy:

Instructor/Content Developer qualifications are determined/reviewed by the Professional Development Committee (PDC).

Ideally, a MAPS continuing education instructor/content developer will have:

  1. A bachelor’s degree, or its international equivalent – and
  2. An advanced academic degree (e.g., Master’s, MD, PharmD, PhD or international equivalent) – and
  3. At least 6 years of experience in the subject area

All content developers must submit a current resume or LinkedIn bio to MAPS staff prior to being approved for participation.

Responsibilities:

The Director L & D will:

  • Through active promotion of this policy, regularly review the leadership and commitment given to ensuring that the subject matter experts who develop and/or present content are of the highest level.
  • Ensure that the organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against infractions of policy.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic review of staff reports and evaluations.
  • Review, as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to ensure compliance with the policy.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

All MAPS staff, volunteers, educational content developers/planners and instructors at all levels will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of this policy and agree to adherence of this policy.
  • Review the background/subject matter expertise of recommended content developers/speakers to ensure that the minimum criteria has been met.
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved to reduce the likelihood of violation of the content policy occurring.

Processes:

The Director L & D will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The Director L & D will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff are trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

Non-compliance:

Any notice of non-compliance with the policy will be immediately reviewed by the CE/T Planner and Director of L&D. If a content developer/presenter is deemed to not be in compliance with the policy regarding misrepresentation of their professional experience, credentials, or academic record, they will be advised of the infraction, and will be immediately removed from the content development/presentation and from any working group or team responsible for content and barred from participating in any current and future MAPS content development and/or presentation.

Continuing Education Anti-Discrimination Policy

Continuing Education Anti-Discrimination Policy

Intro

In conjunction with the MAPS in the development and offering of continuing education programs MAPS endorses diversity, supports equal rights, and does not advocate, support or practice discrimination based on race, religion, age, national origin, language, gender, sexual orientation, or mental or physical handicap, whether covered by applicable legislation or not, except where affirmative action may be required to redress individual or social handicaps of people from disadvantaged groups.

Purpose:

This document sets out

  • MAPS’ policy against such discrimination
  • The governance structures, responsibilities and processes that have been established to give effect to that policy

Policy:

MAPS does not advocate, support or practice discrimination in any continued education program offerings based on race, religion, age, national origin, language, gender, sexual orientation, or mental or physical handicap or any other personal attribute protected by law, except where affirmative action may be required to redress individual or social handicaps. This applies to all MAPS activities, including continuing education course development and offerings. MAPS will make all reasonable accommodations to allow people who experience difficulties in their dealings with the organization to benefit equally from its work.

Responsibilities:

The Board will:

  • Regularly review the leadership and commitment given to eliminating discrimination through active promotion of the organization’s Anti-Discrimination Policy in Continuing Education Program Development.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic management reports and assurances.

The CEO will ensure that:

  • The organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against discrimination in such areas as hiring, and continuing education program development and delivery;
  • Reasonable accommodations are made to allow diverse groups to access organization continuing education offerings;
  • Where appropriate, weight is given to the culture and experiences of individuals from disadvantaged groups.
  • Where appropriate, delegate responsibility for compliance to volunteers with responsibility for particular sections.
  • Oversee the performance of direct-reporting staff in these matters.
  • Review and report to the Board, as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to remove discrimination.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

All staff, volunteer members, content developers/presenters, and learners will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of the organization’s policy against discrimination;
  • Not behave in a manner that would be considered to be discriminatory pursuant to this policy or any applicable legislation;
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved so as to reduce the likelihood of discrimination occurring.

Processes:

The CEO will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

and instructors are made aware of the policy via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website, a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call, and are required to accept compliance with the policy via email confirmation acknowledgement.

Anyone may submit a notice of violation to MAPS in writing, using either the contact form on the MAPS Website, or by emailing info@medicalaffairs.org.

Any notice of non-compliance with the policy will be immediately reviewed. If a content developer/presenter/learner is deemed to not be in compliance with the policy in regards to the development, presentation, or learning of a MAPS continuing education offering, s/he will be advised of the infraction, and will be given one opportunity to immediately correct the infraction. If the infraction is not corrected forthwith or if a second violation occurs, the individual will be removed from the program. At that point:

If the individual is not a MAPS member, s/he will be permanently barred from participating in any MAPS content development and/or presentation. In addition, s/he will not be permitted to join MAPS at any point.

If the individual is a MAPS member, s/he will be permanently barred from participating in any MAPS content development and/or presentation. In addition, her/his MAPS membership will be immediately revoked with no possibility of dues reimbursement or future membership.

If the individual is a MAPS employee, her/his employment will be summarily terminated.

Continuing Education Mission Statement

In alignment with the overall organizational mission, the Professional Development Committee (PDC) of the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) provides high quality continuing education activities and services to develop and enrich the knowledge, skills, and capabilities of Medical Affairs professionals.

The PDC, under the direction of the MAPS Chief Medical Officer, includes the Domain Leads and Teams, Director of L&D, the Senior Advisor of Professional Development, the Continuing Education/Training (CE/T) Planner, the Learning and Development Excellence Team, and Focus Area Work Groups.

The PDC collaboratively:

  • Aligns educational activities with identified industry needs and gaps.
  • Develops guidelines to generate industry standards for Medical Affairs.
  • Highlights and communicates best practices that promote excellence across Medical Affairs functions.
  • Builds capabilities and provides a platform to support the skills and educational development of Medical Affairs professionals across the experience spectrum for beginners in the field to those who are well-seasoned.
  • Creates and provides accessible course offerings in a variety of formats, including in-person conferences, specialized training, virtual sessions, and self-paced eLearning.
  • Aims to ultimately improve patient outcomes through its talent development opportunities.

Course Content Policy

Intro

The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) is committed to ensuring that accredited courses are applicable to learners and the course content is reviewed for quality, currency, effectiveness, and applicability. This policy is to establish continuing education offerings of the highest quality to help the learner in his/her Medical Affairs development.

Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to make certain that MAPS’ continuing education course offerings are of the highest quality, are presented with current and applicable material, and training is effective to help the learner in his/her Medical Affairs’ professional development.

Policy:

To ensure quality curriculum development and conformity to requirements for currency, effectiveness and applicability are met, MAPS aligns and validates the content of our International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) aligned learning activities with the following standards. Specifically,

  1. MAPS designs, develops, and evaluates each IACET aligned course and learning materials in a thorough instructional design planning process as evidenced by a completed and approved CE Planning, Course Content and Sequencing, and Learning Environment and Accessibility This process, overseen by a Continuing Education/Training (CE/T) Planner and approved by the Director of Learning and Development, ensures sound instructional design is applied based on adult learning theory principles; and content is targeted for a specified audience based on a viable needs analysis.
  2. All course content recommendations involving clinical medicine, business acumen, leadership, data, and other subject matter related to medical affairs protocol and practices implemented must be evidence-based with adequate support and justifications supplied.
  3. Course content must be presented without industry (Pharma and Med Device) bias or proprietary information and reflect the industry overall.
  4. All scientific research referred to, reported, or used in an accredited course must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection and analysis.
  5. Scientific research and literature used as the major support references in a course and/or to justify the needs analysis and gaps assessment, must include those that represent the most current and accepted research or practice in the field.
  6. MAPS courses are not eligible for accreditation or provision of credits if they present activities that promote recommendations, treatment, or manners of practicing medical affairs that are known to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients. Courses will not advocate for unscientific modalities of diagnosis, technology, data collection or therapies.
  7. Courses must include formative and summative assessments to ensure learners are attaining the intended outcomes.
  8. Through a standardized evaluation form, each accredited course is reviewed immediately following the event to determine the achievement of intended learning outcomes. Subsequently, a course’s content will be modified and/or delivery methods will be adjusted if preliminary evaluations show learner outcomes are not being accomplished (ratings of 2.99 or lower on a 5-point Likert scale).

Responsibilities:

The Director L & D will:

  • Through active promotion of this policy, regularly review the leadership and commitment given to ensuring that the subject matter experts who develop and/or present content are of the highest level.
  • Ensure that the organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against infractions of policy.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic review of staff reports and evaluations.
  • Review, as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to ensure compliance with the policy.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

All MAPS staff, volunteers, educational content developers/planners and instructors at all levels will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of this policy and agree to adherence of this policy.
  • Not act in a manner that is contrary to the policy.
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved to reduce the likelihood of violation of the content policy occurring.

Processes:

The Director of L & D will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The Director L & D will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff are trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

Non-compliance:

Any notice of non-compliance with the policy will be immediately reviewed by the Continuing Education/Training (CE/T )Planner and Director of L&D. If a content developer/presenter is deemed to not be in compliance with the policy regarding the development, presentation, or learning of a MAPS continuing education offering, s/he will be advised of the infraction, and will be given one opportunity to immediately correct the infraction. If the infraction is not corrected forthwith or if a second violation occurs, the individual will be removed from the program and from any working group or team responsible for content and barred from participating in any current and future MAPS content development and/or presentation.

Diversity Equity Inclusion Policy

A Culture of Inclusion

The need for equity and inclusiveness in health care and society has never been greater. MAPS is firmly committed to embracing and fostering the diversity of our members, staff, organization, profession, and, ultimately, the patient communities we all serve. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are active processes that require continuous commitment to promote healthy people, healthy communities, and the overall success of present and future generations.

Value Statements:

We hold forth a vision of the Medical Affairs profession as one in which discrimination and conscious or unconscious bias is unwelcome and unacceptable. Efforts to support and promote equity, diversity, and inclusion must also address root causes of inequities, not just their manifestations. We must speak out and lead in order to ensure change.

MAPS believes that all who wish to be a part of the Medical Affairs community should have equal opportunity to pursue and attain success. We work towards a better future for all — not just through our medical and scientific expertise, but through how we inspire, engage, retain and advance future talent, and how we treat each other within and beyond the profession.

Solutions to today’s problems require both innovation and creativity. These are accelerated through diverse teams and and ways of thinking, by ensuring that all spaces are inclusive. MAPS is committed to nurturing an inclusive, respectful and welcoming environment where people of all backgrounds and identities are valued and respected and can achieve their full potential, regardless of:

  • race, ethnicity, or national origin;
  • religious or spiritual practice, or absence thereof;
  • sex, gender identity and expression, or sexual orientation;
  • family or relationship structure;
  • any type of disability or perceived disability, past or present;
  • age; and/or
  • any ascribed status, visible or invisible.

We encourage inclusion and intentional representation of people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, not only because it is ethical, but because it enhances the innovation and creativity necessary to find solutions to current and future challenges. We aim to eliminate disparities pertaining to gender and underrepresented minorities, recognizing that specific strategies will be required for specific groups and that we will need to combat long-standing narratives . We expect all members of our community to support and celebrate equity, diversity and inclusion.

Action Statements:

We aim to realize our values through or by:

  • Fostering a culture of open-mindedness, compassion, and inclusiveness among individuals and groups.
  • Actively building a community whose members have diverse cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences.
  • Providing effective leadership in the development, coordination, implementation and assessment of a comprehensive array of programs and services to promote diversity and understanding of differences.
  • Creating and maintaining opportunities for engagement, education, and discourse related to issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
  • Identifying and building awareness of competencies which are essential for creating environments enriched with diverse views and people.
  • Providing educational opportunities toward the development of socially responsible leaders who are willing to engage in the discourse and decision-making that can lead to transformational change.
  • Establishing and maintaining the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group to promote social justice and diversity in all Society activities.
  • Working alongside the DEI Working Group to especially include greater diversity of speakers and experts at our events and in our communications, including racial and gender diversity, LGBTQIA+ representation, and people of different ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and other underrepresented identities in the Medical Affairs community. This will involve not only expanding our outreach strategy for speaker/expert opportunities, but addressing internal factors such as the topics we cover, access barriers, and making our environments, both digital and physical, welcoming to diverse perspectives from our under-represented colleagues across the globe.
  • Reaching beyond the Society to establish beneficial relationships with individual and institutional partners who share mutual goals and interests.

Intellectual Property Policy

Intro

The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) is committed to high level legal and ethical standards in the conduct of our business. It is the policy of MAPS to compete fairly in the marketplace. This commitment to fairness includes respecting the intellectual property rights of our suppliers, customers, business partners, competitors, and others, including original equipment manufacturers and other independent service organizations. No MAPS officers, directors, employees, independent contractor, volunteers or agents should steal or misuse the intellectual property rights owned or maintained by another.

Purpose:

The purpose of this Policy is to help maintain MAPS’ reputation as a fair competitor, ensure the integrity of the competitive marketplace in intellectual property, and comply with the laws regulating intellectual property and industrial espionage.

Policy:

MAPS’ Intellectual Property

MAPS is committed to protecting its own intellectual property, such as information, processes, and technology, from infringement by others. MAPS’s informational tools are available at MAPS’ disposal because of significant investments of time and funds. If MAPS’ intellectual property is not properly protected, it becomes available to others who have not made similar investments. This would cause MAPS to lose its competitive advantage and compromise our ability to provide unique services to our customers.

MAPS’ intellectual property includes, but is not limited to, confidential MAPS business information, trade secret technology (such as computer software and systems and knowhow related to them), patented inventions and processes, trademarks and service marks, trade dress, content developed and copyrighted works. It is the responsibility of every MAPS employee and volunteer to help protect MAPS intellectual property. It is the responsibility of all MAPS employees and volunteers to foster and maintain awareness of the importance of protecting MAPS’s intellectual property.

Intellectual Property of Others

MAPS is committed to respecting the intellectual property of others. The rules with respect to intellectual property, including misappropriation of business information and trade secrets (e.g., computer systems, software, and related knowhow) and infringement of patents, trademarks and service marks, trade dress, and copyrights, are complex. As a result, any question should be brought to the attention of any MAPS employee who may seek expert advice from MAPS’ attorneys to address specific issues that arise with respect to our business. In many instances MAPS’ attorneys can perform searches for pre-existing patents, trademarks or service marks, evaluate business information, or copyrights and help avoid infringing conduct.

While collecting data on MAPS’s competitors, legal and ethical resources should be used to prevent the tainting of MAPS operations with the improper introduction of proprietary information of third parties. Violations of this could result in substantial civil and criminal penalties against the individual and MAPS for misappropriation of trade secrets. This could be avoidable through compliance with MAPS’s policies and consultation with MAPS’s attorneys.

It is not improper to accumulate information concerning competitors, and it is generally not unethical or illegal to make use of the information as part of our business. However, care must be taken by all MAPS volunteers, continuing education content developers, employees, independent contractors, and agents to utilize only legitimate resources to collect information concerning competitors and to avoid those actions which are illegal, unethical, or which could cause embarrassment to MAPS. When a situation is unclear, the individual should consult with MAPS CEO, who may in its discretion wish to further consult with its attorneys.

An individual may be bound by a nondisclosure obligation to the current or former employer. MAPS expects individuals to fulfill this obligation; individuals should refrain using in MAPS’s business any confidential information belonging to any current or former employers. MAPS does expect the use of information which is generally known and used in the industry.

Illustrative Examples

Following are examples of the types of activities that might constitute a violation of the laws protecting intellectual property or MAPS’s policies. In case of a similar situation, MAPS CEO must be contacted who will immediately review the issue and determine if a violation may/has occurred and will act accordingly to ensure that all participating individual/s are in compliance with this policy.

Copyright Infringement

  • Installing computer software on more than one computer system without a proper license.
  • Making or maintaining additional copies of computer software, including providing such copies to customers, without a proper license.
  • Copying a third-party’s documentation, technical manuals, or user manuals without permission.
  • Downloading information from a subscription database without permission.

Trademark, Patent, or Trade Dress Infringement

  • Adopting or using a slogan, name, or symbol for goods or services that is confusingly similar to a slogan, name, or symbol used by another.
  • Making or using a process, product, or device that incorporates patented ideas or features belonging to another.
    Failing to act upon notice or information that MAPS may be infringing on a patent belonging to another.
  • Using an overall look or design that is confusingly similar to the overall look or design of another’s product or service, and causing confusion in the minds of consumers as to who is the source of the product or service.

Trade Secret Infringement

  • Disclosing to others any information received in confidence from or protected from disclosure by a supplier, contractor, customer, current or former employer, or other third party.
  • Stealing, soliciting, or using the trade-secret information of another without written permission from the owner of the information.

DO NOT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY SOLICIT, OBTAIN, OR USE TRADE-SECRET INFORMATION BELONGING TO OTHERS FROM JOB APPLICANTS, NEW OR EXISTING MAPS EMPLOYEES, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, OR AGENTS, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS, SUPPLIERS, VENDORS, CUSTOMERS, OR OTHER THIRD PARTIES. IF YOU BECOME AWARE THAT ANY MAPS EMPLOYEE, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, OR AGENT MAY BE USING OR DISCUSSING TRADE SECRETS OF HIS OR HER CURRENT OR FORMER EMPLOYER OR ANOTHER THIRD PARTY IN HIS OR HER WORK FOR MAPS, YOU MUST CONSULT WITH MAPS MANAGEMENT IMMEDIATELY.

MAPS Trade Secrets

MAPS officers, directors, employees, independent contractors, volunteers, or agents should not disclose MAPS proprietary or confidential information to third parties with whom MAPS is doing business, such as suppliers, licensees, or consultants, except as specifically needed for the third party to perform the services or task requested. Such third parties should be provided information only on a “need to know” basis to allow them to perform the specific services or task requested. All disclosure of MAPS proprietary or confidential information may be made only after a confidentiality agreement is entered into with the third party.

Images/Photos

All photos/images used must either:

  • Have been created by MAPS constituents,
  • Have a purchased license,
  • Have written permission for use given by creator/copyright holder, OR
  • Be in the public domain

Responsibilities

The CEO will:

  • Through active promotion of this policy, regularly review the leadership and commitment given to Intellectual Property Rights.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic review of staff reports and evaluations.
  • Ensure that the organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against infractions of this policy;
  • Where appropriate, delegate responsibility for compliance to MAPS employees with responsibility for particular sections.
  • Review and report to the Board of Directors as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to ensure compliance with the policy.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

MAPS officers, directors, employees, independent contrators, volunteers, or agents will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of this policy and agree to adherence of this policy.
  • Not act in a manner that is contrary to the policy.
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved so as to reduce the likelihood of violation of the intellectual property policy occurring.

Processes:

The CEO will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy, and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The CEO will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff is trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

Non-Compliance:

Any notice of non-compliance with the policy will be immediately reviewed. If a content developer/presenter/learner is deemed to not be in compliance with the policy in regards to the development, presentation, or learning of a MAPS continuing education offering, s/he will be advised of the infraction, and will be given one opportunity to immediately correct the infraction. If the infraction is not corrected forthwith or if a second violation occurs, the individual and company will be removed from the program and barred from participating in any current and future MAPS content development and/or presentation.

Learner Records Security Policy

Intro

The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) is committed to ensuring the privacy and information security of learners’ records, including information input, maintenance, release, and issuance of learners’ records following learning event completion.

Purpose:

To describe the MAPS security and privacy intended to ensure the privacy of MAPS members and participants of MAPS’ continuing education offerings, as well as issuance of learners’ records following learning event completion.

Policy:

PRIVACY NOTICE

BY USING OR ACCESSING OUR WEBSITES OR BY PROVIDING PERSONAL INFORMATION TO US ON OR THROUGH OUR WEBSITES, YOU CONSENT TO THE COLLECTION, USE AND DISCLOSURE OF THAT INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS PRIVACY NOTICE.

GENERAL

This Privacy Notice sets forth the privacy practices and policies of the Medical Affairs Professional Society (“MAPS”). MAPS is committed to respecting and protecting your privacy and helping you make the most of your time on the Internet within a trusted environment. This MAPS Privacy Notice (“Privacy Notice”) governs our data collection, usage and services and applies to the Website www.stg-mapswordpress-mapswoocomm.kinsta.cloud and all sub-domains of this Website (e.g. community.stg-mapswordpress-mapswoocomm.kinsta.cloud, lms.stg-mapswordpress-mapswoocomm.kinsta.cloud).

This Privacy Notice discloses how we collect, protect, use and share personal information gathered about you on our websites. “Personal information”, is any information that enables us to identify you, directly or indirectly, by reference to an identifier such as your name, identification number, location data, online identifier or one or more factors specific to you.

If you use our websites, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the processes and policies referred to in this Privacy Notice. We hope that this disclosure will help increase your confidence in our websites and enhance your experience on the Internet.

For the purposes of the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (the “GDPR”), the “data controller” is the Medical Affairs Professional Society registered in Colorado, USA with a registered address at 602 Park Point Drive, Suite 225, Golden, CO 80401.

PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE TO UNDERSTAND:

Information We Collect
Site Use Information
Use of Cookies
Information You Provide to Us
Social Networking Activities
Financial Transactions
How We Use Your Personal Information
Opting Out of Communications
Security
Links to Other Websites
Child Privacy
Access from Outside the United States
How Long We Store Your Personal Information

Learner Records Issuance and Release
Your European Privacy Rights
Governing Law
Changes to this Privacy Notice
Contact

INFORMATION WE COLLECT

The following information describes the types of personal and other information we may collect about you, and how we use and maintain that information.
SITE USE INFORMATION

Our web servers collect technical information relating to visitors to our websites, including the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform.

We may also collect information about your visit, including pages you viewed or searched for, page response times, download errors, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, and mouse-overs) and methods used to browse away from the page.

This information may be aggregated to measure the number of visits, average time spent on a website, pages viewed, etc. We use this information to measure the use of our websites and to improve the content we offer. We may share with third parties anonymized experiential information or other data on an aggregated basis without the use of any information that personally identifies you.
USE OF COOKIES

Like most websites, we employ “cookies” or similar technologies on certain pages of our websites. Cookies make the use of our websites easier by, among other things, saving your preferences. We may also use cookies to deliver content tailored to your interests. For detailed information on the cookies, we use and the purposes for which we use them contact info@medicalaffairs.org.
INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE TO US

By providing personal information through our websites, you explicitly agree to our collection and use of that information as described in this Privacy Notice.

We may collect and process the following personal information:

Contact information, which you provide when corresponding with us by phone, e-mail or otherwise. This includes information you provide when you interact with the website in ways including but not limited to participating in online surveys, registering for meetings, participating in conference programs, and submitting information, including on any MAPS web-based forms. The information you give us may include your name, address, e-mail address, phone number, financial information and/or

credit card information.

Profile information, provided when you utilize some portions of our websites. We may require that you register and provide us with your contact information and generate a password. This registration information may be used, for example, for identification purposes, to communicate with you regarding your account with us or to facilitate the functioning of our websites. If you provide us with a telephone number, you expressly agree that we, or our authorized agents, can use that number to contact you about your account. If you provide us with your email address, you agree that we, or our authorized agents, can send you emails about your account.

Membership information, about your membership with MAPS including your name, contact details such as address, phone number and email address (business or personal), job title), year of admission and any other information related to your membership. Membership information may be provided by you during the registration process, or by your employer on your behalf.

Purchase information, relating to purchases made by members and non-members. Purchases may include event registration, advertising, job postings, either in-person or via our website. Purchase information will include partial financial information (credit card type and last four digits of the card number) as well as information concerning the item purchased and time of the purchase.

Peer review information, relating to peer review programs conducted. This may include personal information including affiliation and email address.

Third party information. Should you provide any personal data relating to third parties you confirm that you have the permission of such third party to do so.
SOCIAL NETWORKING ACTIVITIES

Our websites include the ability for you and other users to link to social networking websites. As a result, we receive information about you when you choose to post or otherwise share information about our websites on these social networking websites. We may use such information about you in a variety of ways, including to administer a website and enhance your experience with a website and to communicate with you about a website and new offerings or activities associated with the website.
FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS

When you engage in any financial transaction through our websites, you will be asked to provide certain financial information, such as your credit card and billing address. Financial information is used to bill the user for products and services and then is deleted from our records in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS).
HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We use your personal information according to the terms of the Privacy Notice in effect at the time of our use. We will only process your personal information, including sharing it with third parties, where (1) you have provided your consent which can be withdrawn at any time, (2) the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party (including your membership agreement with us), (3) we are required by law, (4) processing is required to protect your vital interests or those of another person, or (5) processing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate business interests, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.

We use personal information for the following purposes:
Site Use Information – we will use this information:

· to administer our websites and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes.

· to improve our website to ensure that content is presented most effectively for you and your computer.

· as part of our efforts to keep our websites safe and secure.

· to make suggestions and recommendations to you and other users of our website about goods or services that may interest you or them.

· Information you provide to us – we will use this information:

o to carry out our obligations arising from your membership and any other agreement entered into between you and us and to provide you with the information, products, and services that you request from us.

o to update and renew your membership as required.

o to arrange and deliver conferences, events, and programming relevant to your specialist area and topics of interest.

o to respond to your questions and provide related membership services.

o to provide you with information about other events, reports, newsletter subscriptions we offer that are similar to those that you have already requested, provided you have not opted-out of receiving that information.

o to securely input and hold learner records for seven years.

o to securely release and issue learner records, in the form of a certificate of completion or transcript, via your MAPS email address, through the secure LMS, and/or through the MAPS secure YM database following the completion of a learning event.

o to provide you, or permit selected third parties to provide you, with information about other events, reports, or newsletter subscriptions we feel may interest you, provided you have given your consent; and

o to notify you about changes to our membership or related services.

o to engage members in advocacy campaigns.

OPTING OUT OF COMMUNICATIONS

If you no longer want to receive emails from MAPS on a going-forward basis, you may opt out of receiving emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the email you receive. Additionally, you may opt out of postal mailings by contacting the info@medicalaffairs.org. If you are having difficulty unsubscribing using the above methods, please contact us directly at the email or phone number listed below under Contact.

Please allow ample time for us to process your request. However, please note that even if you opt-out of receiving emails, we will send you service-related communications (such as your membership) and may need to keep the information we have collected about you for record-keeping, research, and other purposes.
SECURITY

To help protect the privacy of data you transmit through our websites, where personal information is requested, we use technology designed to encrypt the information that you input before it is sent to us. In addition, we take steps to protect the user data we collect against unauthorized access. However, you should keep in mind that the websites are run on software, hardware and networks, any component of which may, from time to time, require maintenance or experience problems or breaches of security beyond our control.

Please also be aware that despite our best intentions and the guidelines outlined in this Privacy Notice, no data transmission over the Internet or encryption method can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

While we take steps to protect your personal information and keep it secure, you also play a role in protecting your information. You can help to maintain the security of your online transactions by not sharing your account information and password with anyone. MAPS cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us or from our websites, and therefore you use our websites at your own risk.
LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES

Our websites may contain links to other websites. However, this Privacy Notice only addresses MAPS’s use, and disclosure of your information collected on our websites, if any. While we try to link only to websites that share our standards and respect for privacy, we are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third parties or the content of linked websites. We encourage you to read the applicable privacy policies and terms and conditions of such parties or websites.

CHILD PRIVACY

We will not knowingly collect or use any personal information from any child under the age of 18. It is not our intention to collect personal information from anyone under 18 years of age. If we become aware that we have collected any personal information from children under the age of 18, we will promptly delete such information from our databases.
ACCESS FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

If you access the website from outside of the United States, information that we collect about you will be transferred to servers inside the United States, which may involve the transfer of information out of countries located in the European Economic Area. By allowing us to collect information about you, you consent to such transfer and processing of your data.
HOW LONG WE STORE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We will only retain your personal information, in a form which permits us to identify you, for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for. We will retain and use your personal information as necessary to satisfy any legal, accounting or reporting requirements, to resolve disputes or to enforce our agreements and rights. In line with this notice, we will either securely delete or anonymize your personal information so that it cannot be linked back to you.

LEARNER RECORDS ISSUANCE AND RELEASE

Learner records for International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) aligned activities are stored for seven years from participation in the learning event. The release and issuance of learner records occurs through the following methods:

in the form of a certificate of completion and/or transcript via the individual learner’s MAPS secure member profile in the YM database following the completion of a learning event; or, on rare occasion through a learner’s email or through the secure LMS.

MAPS members/learners may access the learning transcript and/or certificate of completion in their MAPS profile at will anytime 24/7 once their attendance and criteria for earning IACET CEUs have been reconciled in their profile. Learners will be notified of the availability of these documents via email through their email supplied to MAPS. For eLearning courses, this occurs immediately upon successful completion of a course. For attendance at live events, this occurs within 10 business days following the learning event.

GOVERNING LAW

By choosing to visit our websites or provide information to us, you agree that any dispute over privacy or the terms contained in this Privacy Notice will be governed by the law of the State of Colorado. You also agree to abide by any limitation on damages contained in our Terms of Use, or other agreement that we have with you.

CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY NOTICE

We may occasionally amend this Privacy Notice to reflect company and customer feedback, and we reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Notice at any time. The use of your information is subject to the Privacy Notice and Terms of Use in effect at the time of use. The provisions contained in this Privacy Notice supersede all previous notices or policies regarding our privacy practices with respect to our websites. We encourage you to check frequently to see the current Privacy Notice to be informed of how MAPS is committed to protecting your information and providing you with improved content on our websites in order to enhance your experience.

CONTACT

If you have any questions or comments regarding our Privacy Notice or our Websites, please contact us at info@medicalaffairs.org, by phone at +1 303.495.2073 or send a letter to:

Medical Affairs Professional Society
602 Park Point Drive, Suite 225
Golden, CO 80401
United States.

This Privacy Notice may be changed at any time without notice. By using our website, you acknowledge acceptance of this Privacy Statement in effect at the time of use. Last Reviewed: October 25, 2022.

GENERAL WEBSITE DISCLAIMER

Information, services and/or other features contained in this website are being provided for general educational and informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for independent medical judgment or constitute case-specific medical advice or treatment in any way. Such information, services and/or features are not intended to serve as the primary basis for making personal or professional medical decisions, nor are they intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to making any treatment or diagnosis decisions. You should confirm any information obtained from this site with other sources before undertaking any treatment or otherwise taking any actions relating thereto. Any reliance on any information, services or other features contained in this site is solely at your own risk.

The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) intends that the information contained in this site to be accurate. However, errors sometimes occur. Therefore, MAPS disclaims any warranty of any kind, whether expressed or implied, as to any matter whatsoever relating to this service, including without limitation merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. In no event shall the MAPS be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of any use of or reliance on any content or materials contained herein.

MAPS does not assume and hereby disclaims any and all liability to any person or entity for any claims, damages, liability, or other loss including, without limitation, any liability for injury or other damage resulting from any use of or reliance on this service or from the posting of any content or material by any third party. No use of, or reliance on, any materials included in this site shall be deemed to give rise to a physician-patient relationship. No material included in this site shall be deemed to present the only or necessarily the best method or procedure with respect to a matter discussed on this service; rather, any such material shall be acknowledged as only the approach or opinion of the discussant. The users assume all risks of using the materials included in this site.

COPYRIGHT PROPRIETARY NOTICES

“MEDICAL AFFAIRS PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY”, “MAPS”, and the MAPS logo are trademarks of the MEDICAL AFFAIRS PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY (“MAPS”). Use of these marks in commerce other than as “fair use” is prohibited by law except by obtaining the express written permission of the MAPS.
GENERAL COPYRIGHT POLICY

Copyrights to the materials included in this website are owned solely by MAPS, except for materials which are created by others (or the copyright to which is otherwise owned by others) and for which a copyright notice is posted adjacent to such content or materials. The copyright to each item of material created or otherwise owned by another is owned by such creator or other owner. None of the materials included in this site may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of MAPS, the creator or other owner, as the case may be. In this regard, the graphic images and layout of this site are the exclusive property of MAPS and may not be copied, distributed, or displayed except using an HTML browser or as otherwise stated herein, without the expressed written permission of MAPS. For general copyright permission requests, please email info@medicalaffairs.org.

DISCLOSING INFORMATION TO THIRD PARTIES
We will not share, rent, sell, or otherwise disclose any of the personal information that we collect about you through our websites, except in any of the following situations:

• You request or authorize the release of your personal information.

• We may disclose information that we collect about you to our third-party contractors and payment processors who perform services for us in connection with the websites or to complete or confirm a transaction or series of transactions that you conduct with us. We may also disclose information to service providers or suppliers if the disclosure enables that party to perform business, professional or technical support for us.

• We may disclose information about you to comply with the law, applicable regulations, governmental and quasi-governmental requests, court orders or subpoenas, to enforce our Terms of Use or other agreements, or to protect our rights, property or safety or the rights, property or safety of our users or others (e.g., to a consumer reporting agency for fraud protection). We reserve the right to release information that we collect to law enforcement or other government officials, as we, in our sole and absolute discretion, deem necessary or appropriate.

• We may share aggregated or anonymous information that cannot identify you with third parties. For example, we may disclose the number of visitors to our websites or the number of people who have downloaded a particular document.

We will only transfer your personal information to trusted third parties who provide sufficient guarantees in respect of the technical and organizational security measures governing the processing to be carried out and who can demonstrate a commitment to compliance with those measures.

Responsibilities:

The CEO and the Director L & D will:

  • Through active promotion of this policy, regularly review the leadership and commitment given to ensuring adherence to this policy.
  • Ensure that the organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against infractions of policy.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic review of staff reports and evaluations.
  • Review, as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to ensure compliance with the policy.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

All MAPS staff, volunteers, educational content developers/planners and instructors at all levels will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of this policy and agree to adherence of this policy.
  • Not act in a manner that is contrary to the policy.
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved to reduce the likelihood of violation of the content policy occurring.

Processes:

The CEO will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The CEO will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff are trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

MAPS Anti-trust Compliance Policy and Guidelines

Purpose:

The purpose of this document is to educate MAPS members about the federal antitrust laws that are applicable to trade association activities, and to serve as a basic guide to assist MAPS and its members in conducting MAPS meetings and activities in conformity with these laws.

Policy:

It is the policy of MAPS to comply strictly with all laws that relate to the conduct of its activities, including the antitrust laws of the United States. All MAPS members, officers, and staff must familiarize themselves with the MAPS “Antitrust Guidelines,” and shall agree to conform all MAPS sponsored meetings and activities, in strict accordance with the Guidelines. The Guidelines shall be updated and revised as appropriate by the MAPS Board in consultation with counsel. The Guidelines are intended to provide basic guidance on the antitrust laws that may be applicable to MAPS activities. Counsel should be consulted in all cases involving specific situations, interpretations or advice. A MAPS staff member or counsel shall attend all meetings, and counsel shall attend any meeting in which issues with antitrust implications are expected to be discussed.

ANTITRUST GUIDELINES

Overview of the Antitrust Laws

The antitrust laws are intended to foster and protect competition. As such, the laws prohibit particular anticompetitive activities, and more generally those that are deemed to unreasonably restrain trade. Agreements among competitors are inherently suspect under the antitrust laws. Therefore, while the purpose of MAPS is to promote the exchange of ideas and developments in the global online commerce and thereby foster competition among industry participants, group activities of competitors–such as those conducted by a trade association–are inherently suspect under the antitrust laws. For this reason, MAPS has developed these Antitrust Guidelines to provide a general overview of antitrust laws and specific guidelines to assist MAPS in conducting its activities in conformity with antitrust laws.

Sherman Act

The basic statutes that are applicable to trade associations are the Sherman Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act. The Sherman Act prohibits “contracts, combinations or conspiracies in restraint of trade or commerce.” Taken together, the contract, combination or conspiracy requirement has been found to exist where there is some form of agreement between two or more parties. Such agreements may be explicit, e.g., taking the form of a contract or other oral or written communication, or implicit, e.g., implied by the conduct of the parties and construed to indicate an agreement was formed.

In most cases, the prohibitions of the Sherman Act extend only to transactions that are found to be unreasonable restrictions on competition. Hence, courts examine the “reasonableness” of the restraint involved in light of all the relevant circumstances. In applying this “Rule of Reason” to alleged anticompetitive business activities, the courts conduct an extensive economic analysis of the alleged restraint on trade, the business context in which it arose, its purpose and probable anticompetitive effects, and the business or economic justification for the restraint. The categories of per se violations are discussed below.

Certain activities, however, are deemed unlawful without a detailed examination of their context or effects on competition and constitute “per se” or automatic violations of the Sherman Act.

Federal Trade Commission Act

Section 5 of the FTC Act prohibits “unfair methods of competition” and “unfair or deceptive acts or practices.” The FTC Act’s broad enforcement provision empowers the Commission to determine the meaning of “unfair.” In addition, activities considered illegal under the Sherman Act also are generally unlawful under Section 5 of the FTC Act. Furthermore, Section 4 of the FTC Act empowers the FTC to take action against “incipient” unfair practices; that is, conduct which does not yet amount to–but is likely to lead to–a violation of the other antitrust statutes.

Enforcement and Penalties

The U.S. Department of Justice, states, and private parties harmed by the anticompetitive conduct of others may bring suit for violations of the Sherman Act. Enforcement of the FTC Act is vested exclusively in the FTC. Violations of the Sherman Act may result in both criminal and civil penalties. In addition, private plaintiffs may recover three times the amount of damages suffered, plus the costs of bringing suit, including attorneys’ fees.

In the past, not only organizations but also their officers and directors have been found criminally and civilly liable for antitrust violations. In addition to the strict penalties associated with antitrust violations, the courts and the FTC have ordered the dissolution of associations found to engage in anticompetitive practices. Therefore, it is imperative that all MAPS members, officers and staff take all appropriate measures to minimize the risk of antitrust violations.

General Antitrust Guidelines

This section describes types of activities and practices that courts have found to constitute violations of the Sherman Act. MAPS officers, staff and members must take extreme care to avoid even the appearance of engaging in these types of activities, as well as any others which could be construed as having an anticompetitive intent or purpose. Attached to these Guidelines is an Antitrust Reminder that may serve as a “checklist” for MAPS to circulate to members on a regular basis and prior to meetings, perhaps by furnishing a copy with the meeting agenda.

Per se violations have traditionally included agreements among competitors that have the purpose and effect of “fixing prices,” “allocating territories,” or “boycotting third parties.” Under the antitrust laws, “price fixing” includes much more than an agreement to set prices at a particular level, within a specific range, or in accordance with a particular formula. It potentially includes any agreement that tends to raise, fix, stabilize or otherwise affect price. Thus, even if the parties permit the price to vary somewhat under the agreement, the agreement is illegal if it has the effect of stabilizing the price among those participating in the conspiracy. Similarly, price fixing includes agreements to control other factors that directly or indirectly affect price, such as establishing production levels, setting uniform discounts, credit or warranty terms, or agreeing on matters relating to costs, especially when those costs account for a substantial percentage of the final price.

At no time shall any discussion or agreement among MAPS members take place regarding product prices, price changes, supply and demand for products or raw materials, or any other subjects bearing on product pricing.

Territorial or market allocation involves an agreement among competitors operating at the same level of the market structure–such as manufacturers, distributors, etc.–to divide the market in such a way as to allow each party to the agreement to serve its share of the market without competition from the others. Such prohibited allocations in the past have been made on the basis of geographical boundaries or particular types of customers.

No discussions or agreements shall take place concerning allocation or division of markets or geographical or other restrictions on representatives, distributors or other customers of MAPS members’ products.

Group boycotts or “refusals to deal” are considered per se violations in certain instances. Agreements or collective action to refuse to deal with certain suppliers, customers, or other competitors, or to undertake actions that tend to exclude certain participants from the marketplace or deny them access to a significant competitive benefit available to others in the market are prohibited. Before the per se rule is applied, however, several factors are considered, such as whether the activity was undertaken for an anticompetitive purpose, whether the group possesses market power, and whether it holds exclusive or unique access to a business element necessary for effective competition.

In the trade association context, group boycott issues may arise in relation to membership or exhibition restrictions, or in disciplinary or expulsion action against members. Because these situations must be analyzed closely in accordance with strictly defined legal guidelines, counsel should be notified prior to MAPS’ consideration of any of these actions.

MAPS members shall not engage in any discussion or agreement concerning particular representatives, distributors, other customers, or suppliers involving decisions to deny, limit or terminate business relations between any MAPS member and such firms. Also, counsel shall be notified prior to any discussion by MAPS concerning restricting or denying membership or exhibition space to any nonmember firm that competes in the industry.

In addition to the issues described above, other antitrust problems may arise where trade association activities are undertaken which may have anticompetitive effects on non-members. Particular guidelines must be followed before undertaking any association project, such as an industry survey or other statistical program, or petitioning industry or government organizations on matters that may have a competitive impact on non-members. Accordingly, counsel must be contacted before discussing or planning these programs.

Don’ts

Do Not–in fact or appearance–discuss or exchange information with actual or potential competitors regarding any of the following matters, either on the MAPS website, during MAPS sponsored meetings or gatherings or otherwise discuss or exchange:

  • Individual company prices, price changes, price differentials, mark-ups, discounts, warranties, allowances, credit terms, costs, production levels, capacity, sales, etc.
  • Plans of individual companies concerning the design, production, distribution or marketing of particular products, including proposed territories or customers.
  • Division or limitation of sales to particular territories, customers or classes of customers.
  • Refusal to sell to or purchase from, or termination or modification of sales or purchase arrangements with representatives, distributors, or other third parties, or prices or terms of sale or resale by customers.
  • Industry pricing policies, price levels, price changes, or differentials
  • Matters relating to actual or potential individual suppliers or customers that might exclude them from any market or of influencing the business conduct of firms toward such suppliers or customers.
  • Limiting or eliminating competition in any way, or efforts to create a monopoly.
  • MAPS Membership, denial of membership, or expulsion of members other than in formal meetings with the participation of counsel
  • Do not discuss or exchange information regarding the above matters during MAPS events or communications through MAPS sponsored message boards or at MAPS sponsored meetings, even in jest.

DOs

  • Before meetings, prepare and have counsel review agendas of particular items to be discussed at meetings and adhere to the agenda unless additional matters for discussion have been approved in advance by MAPS staff or counsel.
  • Ensure that draft meeting minutes are promptly prepared after each meeting, reviewed by counsel, and then circulated to members present at the meeting to determine that the minutes accurately reflect the proceedings.
  • Protest any discussions or meeting activities that appear to violate the antitrust laws or the MAPS Antitrust Compliance Policy and Guidelines; disassociate yourself from any such discussions or activities and leave any meeting in which they continue. Be sure that MAPS staff and counsel are made aware of any such activities.

Processes:

The CEO will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The CEO will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff are trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

MAPS Non-promotion and Conflict of Interest Policy

Introduction:

This policy applies to all content whether generated by MAPS member companies or by vendors of goods and services that can be used by MAPS or any of its individual or institutional members.

MAPS educational content should be presented in a neutral manner that does not “promote” a specific company, product, or service.

A good general rule to follow for non-promotional content is: The audience should be able to apply the learning to any situation, even those that do not include or require the use of a specific company/product/service.

Purpose:

MAPS seeks to ensure quality content across all media types to provide value to MAPS members and the wider Medical Affairs community. The actuality or appearance of conflicts of interest (COI) or promotional intent by authors/contributors detracts from the substance of these materials. Thus, it is the purpose of this policy to ensure all contributors work in good faith to provide valuable education, information and insights without using MAPS content as a vehicle for self- or organizational promotion.

Definitions:

Promotional Materials:Promotional materials are those recommended or creating a perception of to recommend, e.g. through branding or logo on presentation materials, a specific product or service either as a sole recommendation or as a clear leader in a list of product/service options. Promotional intent may be conveyed in written, visual, audio or any other media format.

Examples:

  • An Elevate article written with a solution provider co-author referencing the solution provider’s company/product/service as the clear leader.
  • A Webinar, eLearning module, workshop slides etc. in which presenters use company/product/service-branded video backgrounds.
  • A podcast in which a guest offers a case study demonstrating the superiority of his/her company’s specific product/service.

Non-Promotional Materials:

Non-promotional materials provide valuable educational content without recommending or seeming to recommend a specific product or service.

Examples:

  • An Elevate article written with a solution provider co-author that leverages the solution provider’s expertise to offer valuable, topic-relevant insights while including the company/product/service as an illustrative example among other options
  • A Webinar in which presenters include their company titles in their introductions and first slides, but without company branding
  • A podcast in which a guest describes his/her topic-relevant experience without using the discussion to drive interest in a company/product/service.

Policy:

This policy applies to items mentioned below and to any other content issued through MAPS.

Disclosures regarding content for presentations:
The following information will be published along with all MAPS deliverables:

  • Content Authorship Disclosures: Name, photo, title, company, and, academic designations per content developer/presenter (e.g., MD, PharmD).
  • Conflicts of Interest Disclosures: All content developers are required to complete Conflict of Interest statements and advise the audience of such accordingly. Any disclosures will be noted in both marketing materials and presentations for IACET aligned courses and at presentations only for non-accredited presentations.

Use of Proprietary Technology Platforms in Case Study Demonstrations:

MAPS recognizes the unique nature of visual presentations where demonstration of platforms and inclusion of case studies is central to the content of any deliverable. However, to avoid promoting, or the appearance of promotion, of any company’s proprietary platform, product, and/or service, the following are required:​

The example or case study of the proprietary platform, product and/or service should ideally be presented by someone who is notan owner or agent of the company who offers the platform/product/service, or at minimum should be co-presented with an industry member or subject matter expert who is not an owner or agent of the company who owns the platform/product/service and:

  • If the presentation is showing the use of only one (1) platform in the presentation, the presentation may notjust be a demonstration of that platform. Rather, it must reference the tool in the context of a broader discussion of competency/capability development.
  • If the presentation is showcasing multiple platforms to educate the audience on available technologies, it must include at least two different products from different companies, describe the platforms in a balanced manner, giving equal time to each platform optionand be based on current science, evidence, and clinical reasoning
  • Wherever possible, use of generic phrases for the technology instead of proprietary brands should be made.​
  • When responding to specific questions from the audience about the technology demonstrated/mentioned no company name or proprietary brand will be mentionedor mention will be made of at least one competitor’s products with similar capabilities.
  • No references will be made to “our products”​.

Conference Workshops, Panels or Training Programs (virtual or in-person):

MAPS does  not offer company “sponsored” workshops at its conferences/events. Thus, MAPS has a strict policy on corporate branding, and workshops and panels should not be deemed promotional in nature:

  • Discussing company products is not allowed, unless fair and balanced presentation of competing products or services is also included.
  • Logos of facilitators’ companies are permitted only on the secondary title slide in conjunction with the facilitators’ names, title and company.
  • Evaluations will be completed by workshop participants and low scores on the objective (i.e., non-promotional) nature of the workshop could factor into future invitations to present at MAPS events.

Sponsored Podcasts:

MAPS offers podcasts to Partner Circle member (PCM) companies. A notice of the podcast sponsorship must be disclosed to the audience in all marketing materials and shhared verbally with the audience at the beginning of the podcast

Partner Circle Member (PCM)-led Webinars:

MAPS offers PCM companies to host a webinar. A notice of the webinar sponsorship must be disclosed to the audience In all marketing materials and on the first slide of the webinar.

Responsibilities:

The CEO and Director L & D will:

  • Through active promotion of this policy, regularly review the leadership and commitment given to Non-Promotion and Conflict of Interest Disclosure.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic review of staff reports and evaluations
  • Ensure that the organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against infractions of this policy;
  • Review and report to the Board of Directors, as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to ensure non-promotional nature in all MAPS issued content.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

MAPS officers, directors, employees, independent contrators, volunteers, or agents otherwise will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of the organization’s policy and agree to adherence of this policy.
  • Not act in a manner that is contrary to the policy.
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved so as to reduce the likelihood of discrimination occurring.

Processes:

The CEO will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy, and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The CEO will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff is trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

Non-Compliance:

Any notice of non-compliance with the policy will be immediately reviewed. If a content developer/presenter is deemed to not be in compliance with the policy in regards to the development, presentation, or learning of a MAPS continuing education offering, s/he will be advised of the infraction, and will be given one opportunity to immediately correct the infraction. If the infraction is not corrected forthwith or if a second violation occurs, the individual and company will be removed from the program and from any working group or team responsible for content and barred from participating in any current and future MAPS content development and/or presentation.

Privacy Policy

When you sign up for a MAPS event, newsletter, membership, or online content, you give us certain information voluntarily. This may include your name, email address, region, and any other information you provide voluntarily through the specific form. MAPS will only use this information to contact you with future events and resources, which you may opt out of at any time. MAPS will not provide your information to third parties without your explicit permission.

MAPS may also record live virtual or in-person events. By attending a MAPS event, you are aware and give MAPS permission to post and promote recordings of the event including, but not limited to, portions of the event that may include your participation.

Qualified Content Developer Policy

Purpose:

The purpose of this Policy is to ensure MAPS’ reputation as the premier professional development organization for Medical Affairs professionals by ensuring that the quality, experience, academic training, and professional credentials of subject matter experts who create and/or present content is at the highest level.

Policy:

Instructor/Content Developer qualifications are determined/reviewed by the Professional Development Committee (PDC).

Ideally, a MAPS continuing education instructor/content developer will have:

  1. A bachelor’s degree, or its international equivalent – and
  2. An advanced academic degree (e.g., Master’s, MD, PharmD, PhD or international equivalent) – and
  3. At least 6 years of experience in the subject area

All content developers must submit a current resume or LinkedIn bio to MAPS staff prior to being approved for participation.

Responsibilities:

The Director L & D will:

  • Through active promotion of this policy, regularly review the leadership and commitment given to ensuring that the subject matter experts who develop and/or present content are of the highest level.
  • Ensure that the organization’s practices and processes incorporate precautions against infractions of policy.
  • Monitor performance by way of periodic review of staff reports and evaluations.
  • Review, as appropriate, on the effectiveness of the management systems established to ensure compliance with the policy.
  • Analyze material breaches and identified compliance system weaknesses for systematic trends and ensure that any adverse trends are addressed.
  • Promote a culture of effective policy compliance across the organization.

All MAPS staff, volunteers, educational content developers/planners and instructors at all levels will:

  • Ensure that they are aware of this policy and agree to adherence of this policy.
  • Review the background/subject matter expertise of recommended content developers/speakers to ensure that the minimum criteria has been met.
  • Where appropriate, suggest ways in which practices, systems and procedures could be improved to reduce the likelihood of violation of the content policy occurring.

Processes:

The Director L & D will initially review the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy and will report to the Board of Directors on this matter.

The Director L & D will review any changes to the organization’s procedures in all areas to ensure that these are in accordance with the principles expressed in this policy.

Educational content developers/planners and instructors are made aware of the policy through their Content Participation Agreement, and through a discussion of this and all relevant policies during the kickoff call. Everyone involved in the development of course content and all MAPS staff are required to accept compliance with the policy via the Content Participant Agreement /via email confirmation acknowledgement.

This policy, as well as all other applicable policies, is provided to learners via a link to the policy posted on MAPS website.

MAPS staff are trained on this policy through an email notice and subsequent in-service to discuss adherence.

Non-compliance:

Any notice of non-compliance with the policy will be immediately reviewed by the CE/T Planner and Director of L&D. If a content developer/presenter is deemed to not be in compliance with the policy regarding misrepresentation of their professional experience, credentials, or academic record, they will be advised of the infraction, and will be immediately removed from the content development/presentation and from any working group or team responsible for content and barred from participating in any current and future MAPS content development and/or presentation.

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