Ad Policies
Eligibility Requirements
Pharmaceutical Advertising
Acceptance of Copy and Materials
Contracts and Payment
Editor's Responsibility
Reader/Member's Rights
Advertiser's Right of Appeal
Publisher's Disclaimer
Eligibility Requirements
The American Association of Medical Assistants® (AAMA), in its sole discretion, reserves the right to decline any submitted advertisement or to discontinue publication of any advertisement previously accepted.
Advertising accepted for the publications of the AAMA or sent to members through membership list rental should serve to inform medical assistants, medical assisting students and educators, medical office managers, and other health care professionals of products, services, and courses that are available. In keeping with responsible journalistic philosophy, all advertisements must be accurate.
The AAMA will not accept any advertisement that promotes a medical assisting program that is not accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) unless the program expressly states that it plans to pursue CAAHEP- or ABHES-accreditation.
Inclusion of advertising in AAMA publications is neither a guarantee nor an endorsement by the American Association of Medical Assistants—or the AAMA publication—of products, services, or claims made in advertisements. Each issue of CMA Today will carry the following statement: "Publication of advertisements does not constitute an endorsement or guarantee by the AAMA of the quality or value of the advertised services or products."
Pharmaceutical Advertising
Pharmaceutical products for which approval of a New Drug Application by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a prerequisite for marketing must comply with FDA regulations regarding advertising and promotion.
It should be noted, however, that the regulations of the FDA provide exacting legal controls over the claims that pharmaceutical advertisers may make for their products. The FDA also requires advertisers to state contraindications, hazards, etc., unless they make no product claims.
Adherence to legal requirements concerning advertising by pharmaceutical companies is their responsibility. Performances of all drugs, materials, and devices being advertised remain the sole responsibility of the manufacturer, company, or person placing or mailing the advertisement.
Acceptance of Copy and Materials
Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for all content (including text, representations, and illustrations) of advertisements printed and assume responsibility for any claims made against the advertiser.
The advertisement should clearly identify the advertiser of the product or service offered. In the case of pharmaceutical advertisements, the full generic name of each active ingredient shall appear.
Layout, artwork, and format submitted for publication must avoid confusion with the editorial content of the publication.
Advertisements that in any manner may be construed as being disparaging of useful competitive products or services are not acceptable.
It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to comply with the laws and regulations applicable to the marketing and sale of its products. Acceptance of advertising in AAMA publications should not be construed as a guarantee that the manufacturer has complied with such laws and regulations.
Advertisements may not be deceptive or misleading. Exaggerated or unsupported claims are not acceptable. The burden of proof to substantiate any statement within an advertisement rests with the company or individual proposing the advertisement.
Advertisements will not be accepted if they are offensive in either text or artwork, or contain attacks or derogations of a personal, racial, sexual, or religious nature, or are demeaning or discriminatory toward an individual or group on the basis of age, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, physical appearance, or disability.
No advertisement or other promotion may use the name or logo of the American Association of Medical Assistants, either in publications of the AAMA or elsewhere.
Advertisements endorsing, supporting, or congratulating persons, candidates, or constituent societies are not accepted for publication in CMA Today.
Contracts and Payment
All advertising for CMA Today must be in compliance with the policies and specifications outlined in the CMA Today Ad Rates and Specifications sheet.
No exceptions are made to published rates.
All information (rates, deadlines, mechanical specifications, etc.) is subject to change.
Advertising rates are honored only for signed contracts and until the expiration of the advertiser's contract.
To qualify for the multiple insertion rates, a signed contract must be drawn up in advance, with the insertion dates and ad size specified. If the contract is broken, single rates will be retroactively billed.
A written insertion order/space reservation must be received by the AAMA Advertising Manager by the space-closing dates stated on the rate sheet.
Invoices for advertising space must be postmark paid within 30 days of issuance. Only recognized advertising agencies are eligible for a 15 percent discount on display advertisements.
Prepayment is required from all first-time AAMA advertisers on the initial insertion. The AAMA reserves the right to request prepayment from any delinquent advertiser or agency.
The AAMA accepts PDF files for all advertisements, but will offer to make minor changes and adjustments to existing artwork for a nominal charge as a courtesy to its advertisers. All liability for the accuracy of these changes rests entirely with the advertiser, with AAMA liability limited to the cost of the advertisement. The AAMA reserves the right to immediately cancel an advertisement if the entire bill is not paid in accordance with the terms listed above.
Mechanical specifications must be followed.
If ad artwork is not received by the materials deadline, the AAMA will repeat a previous ad or, if a previous ad is not available, charge for the reserved ad space.
Editor's Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the editor of the AAMA to determine acceptability of advertising materials and content under the policies stated herein.
In cooperation with the executive director, the editor of the AAMA is authorized to determine eligibility for advertising space.
Reader/Member's Rights
The AAMA shall notify its members upon enrollment and renewal of their opportunity to delete their names from list rental.
Advertiser's Right of Appeal
A company or individual that has been denied AAMA advertising space or list rental may appeal the decision to the Board of Trustees of the AAMA.
Publisher's Disclaimer
Advertisers and their agencies assume any liability for the content of their advertisements in AAMA publications, including any claims arising therefrom. The AAMA reserves the right to reject any advertisement considered unsuitable according to AAMA policy.