CAHG Becomes First Agency to Earn Regulatory Compliance Certification in Healthcare Advertising and Promotion

NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CAHG takes the lead in regulatory compliance for advertising and promotion as the nation's first healthcare advertising and promotions agency to be fully certified in these disciplines, announced the New York-based Center for Communication Compliance (CCC), which administered the certification testing.

"CAHG has made regulatory compliance a corporate priority by committing to train and certify all key client-serving staff," said CEO Scott Cotherman.  "Regulatory compliance training and testing will be conducted—and these key staff certified—on an annual basis as a condition for employment at our firm."

The importance of confirming compliance competency continues to grow because of intensive industry scrutiny by government agencies and the increasingly complex and challenging climate in which to remain compliant.

"New FDA enforcement letters or settlements by the Department of Justice have the potential for generating a new policy.  Keeping up with regulatory changes around drug and device promotion is critically important," states former FDA Associate Commissioner for Public Affairs and chair of the CCC Advisory Board, Wayne Pines.

CAHG is the first of the Omnicom healthcare agencies to certify with CCC as part of a group-wide initiative.

"Our overall aim is to be the first of the holding companies to achieve training and certification for all of our relevant healthcare communications agencies," states Thomas L. Harrison, Chairman and CEO of Diversified Agency Services, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. "This will demonstrate to our clients and to our industry at large that understanding the regulatory environment continues to be one of the highest priorities for our agencies."

Explains Cotherman: "CAHG has always been committed to regulatory compliance in the development and implementation of healthcare communication programs and materials.  Now we are taking the lead in order to transfer regulatory knowledge more quickly and help streamline the communications review process, making CAHG an even more valued partner."

CCC employs a proprietary model to test for mastery of essential regulatory compliance information, according to Ilyssa Levins, CCC president and founder.  This model has established the first set of consistent industry standards and competency benchmarks.  Test questions are validated by members of the CCC Advisory Board, which includes former FDA officials, juris doctors and regulatory experts from industry and professional consulting firms.*

About CAHG

CAHG (www.cahg.com) is one of the largest healthcare communications companies in the world and provides brand acceleration services throughout the lifecycle of a brand, from compound development to patent expiry and beyond, including genomics-based medicine and personalized healthcare communication and strategies; clinical trial patient recruitment and management; market conditioning and promotional medical education; managed markets; full-service interactive support through relationship marketing and digital/interactive communications; technology-inspired studio solutions; and specialty and blockbuster global brand acceleration services in the professional healthcare advertising, branding, and promotions disciplines.

CAHG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company.  Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning, digital and interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

About CCC

The Center for Communication Compliance (www.communicationcompliance.com) is the world's only all-in-one source for training, mastery testing, and consulting in regulatory compliance.  The company offers specialized expert-validated Regulatory Compliance Tests (RCTs) and a library of over 500 test questions and answers on diverse promotional compliance topics.  CCC's correlated training and testing program, available in 45 countries, is modeled after the Stanley Kaplan Prep program for the SAT.  The company has an Advisory Board of preeminent international experts, including five former FDA officials.  With 50+ educational program offerings and the ability to develop and deliver original content and customized regulatory solutions, CCC provides curricula that are practical, timely, and compelling.  The company offers the ideal combination of regulatory, legal, and marketing/communications expertise.

*CCC does not provide legal clearance or advice, which clients are responsible for obtaining.

Contact:
Ilyssa Levins/CCC – 212-361-9868
[email protected]

Suri Harris/CAHG – 646-428-8918
[email protected]

SOURCE Center for Communication Compliance (CCC)