CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT PCMA – AGM 17th March 2010
Dr Jacqui Miot
I’d like to welcome all the members to this PCMA AGM and to thank them for attending the meeting. I’d also like to thank Bristol Myers Squibb for sponsoring the following CPE. We have had a change of topic but I am confident that you will find the discussion to follow interesting.
2009 was the PCMA’s best year ever in terms of revenue generation, CPEs and Health Economic workshops. The PCMA remains a Section 21 Company so profits were ploughed back into the organization, amongst other necessities, in the form of honoraria and travel commitments both in transporting our speakers to the members in the different regions and for Adie to facilitate the CPEs in Cape Town and the Eastern Cape.
A total number of 32 CPEs were hosted through out the regions. This year we omitted KZN due to finite capacity and focus in the Eastern Cape.
Topics ranged from a clinical focus to pit falls in pharmacoeconomics, and updates in the PMBs.
The attendance of the CPE programme has increased exponentially since 2007 when PCMA hosted the event in the evenings in Jo’burg and Cape Town and not at all in Pretoria. Since 2007, the PCMA started hosting CPE breakfast meetings at Medihelp, Pretoria (only). These proved to be convenient for members to attend so in 2008 CPE breakfast meetings were hosted at Discovery Health and Medscheme in Cape Town. This improved our attendance from +-12 attendees in 2006 per event to up to 50 attendees in 2009. I wish to thank Medihelp, Discovery Health and Medscheme for offering fantastic venues for the PCMA CPE breakfast meetings.
Certificates of attendance are awarded annually to those who attend the CPEs. To re-iterate what our Past Chairperson Prof Marc Blockman encouraged in 2006: “It would be a good idea for our members to develop and build up their own portfolio of learning. Instead of the necessity to gain CPD points from lectures attended in order to develop and maintain professional competence, notes on lectures attended should be kept for reference purposes. We encourage each and every one of you - & tell your colleagues – to attend the CPE programme, contribute as much as you can and share information”
It has now become mandatory to keep a record of CPE lectures attended.
PCMA provides the perfect forum to meet these requirements.
I can honestly say that over the past 3 years we have managed to sustain and stimulate our members with the education programme.
Once again, the PCMA was invited by the University of the Witwatersrand, Rhodes University and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to lecture on the role of pharmacoeconomics. We were proud to have our ExCo Member Davide Casalvolone and Individual Member Lovina Naidoo deliver lectures to enthusiastic 4th year B Pharm students.
The Health Economic Workshop progamme continues to develop and grow.
In 2008 there were 16 delegates who attended a 3 day HE workshop. In 2009 there were 82 attendees. The format of the programme changes from year to year thereby retaining delegates who may have attended the previous year but still have the desire to learn something new from a fresh programme and diverse presenters and topics.
The PCMA remains determined to collaborate with the DoH and the HE Unit UCT as this involvement retains our credibility and relevance. In 2009 PCMA also collaborated with ISPOR and facilitated their short course programme after ISPOR’s annual conference. We have been invited by ISPOR to do the same in 2010.
Along with the HE workshops, PCMA was invited by one of our Corporate Member’s, Astra Zeneca to facilitate an internal Evidence Based Medicine workshop. Prof Paul Rheeder lectured for the day - kept the delegates on their toes critically analyzing clinical trials and dare I say, well entertained.
The membership base of the PCMA has increased over the last year by 23%, however following up the annual Individual Membership fee has become a challenge. Currently the Individual Members pay an annual fee which is invoiced either to the individual or to the various departments within the various administrations. It has been suggested that the administrator becomes a Corporate Member thereby eliminating the regulation and monitoring of member’s attendance of CPE events. Medscheme has been approached to become a Corporate Member and we now await a decision.
The Corporate Members in 2009 were made up of; Abbott, Aspen, AstraZeneca, BMS, Dr Reddy’s; Janssen-Cilag; MSD, Novartis; Nycomed; Schering Plough; Servier & Pfizer. Adcock Ingram joined in the beginning of 2009 – welcome to Vaychel Rayman and his team and Medtronic joined in May, Joubert Kugel and his team. The advent of a new approach by the introduction of devices manufacturers, opens up diversity to the PCMA focus on Evidence-based medicine and Health Economics.
The Executive Committee considered re-branding the PCMA. It was unanimously decided that the familiar PCMA “look” is recognizable and distinguishable – just need to get new banners and freshen up.
A disappointment this year was realizing that the proposed Journal Club was not viable on a web based format. It is much better to go “live” and to have interactive journal club meetings which hopefully we will be pursued in the coming year.
Another disappointment was the resignation of our Honorary President Prof Jimmy Volmink. He is currently very stretched with his commitments and feels he cannot give PCMA the amount of attention he would like to. We will miss his guidance and wisdom and thank him for his interest and support over the past four years.
Well, after a good year we must end on a positive note…..
The growing success of the PCMA is definitely due to the energy, lively discussion and positive approach each individual brings to the meeting place.
Thank you to all who have contributed, in particular to Adie Bryson whose energy and commitment to PCMA continues to drive it on the road to success. And I feel excited by the 2010 programme both on and off the field!
Thanks, Jacqui