The leaders from nine medical technology associations worldwide have signed the “Global Compliance Statement on Interactions Between Medical Technology Companies and Healthcare Professionals (HCPs),” in an effort to further advance ethical behavior globally.

The agreement was first signed in 2010 by the AdvaMed; Eucomed, the European medical technology industry association; and, the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association (EDMA), in an effort to advance their longstanding work to promote ethical collaborations among companies and HCPs globally. It now includes six additional industry associations. The signing took place during a ceremony held at the 2011 International Medical Device Industry Compliance Conference in London.

The nine associations’ leaders who have signed the agreement represent the following organizations:

AdvaMed, Eucomed, EDMA, COCIR (European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry), IMEDA (International Medical Devices Manufacturers Association), MEDEC (Canadian medical technology industry association), MTAA (Medical Technology Association of Australia), Medical Technology Association of New Zealand, and SAMED (South African Medical Device Industry Association).

For medical technology companies, interacting with healthcare professionals is critical to ongoing device innovation and patient safety. As a global industry, we must ensure that these interactions are conducted in an ethical and professional manner anywhere in the world,” says Stephen J. Ubl, president and CEO of AdvaMed. “We are very pleased to see that this vision is shared by other associations across the globe and that six of them have now joined AdvaMed, Eucomed, and EDMA in a common approach to promote compliance globally.”

Each association has its own individual industry Code of Ethics and Business Practices in place; however, the groups say that the principles on which those codes are based are identical. With that in mind and in an environment where healthcare and medical technology innovation increasingly extends beyond national and cultural borders, the groups have committed to work together to promote these standards.

John Wilkinson, Eucomed’s chief executive, adds, “Having today nine medical technology industry associations committed to advance ethical behavior globally is an important milestone in our mission to provide consistent transparency and ethical standards across international borders.

Wilkinson says that the groups are hoping that other associations join them in their collective efforts to address compliance globally. “This is the way forward if the medical technology industry is to keep on delivering modern, safe, and effective medical technology and care to patients across the globe,” he says.

Under this agreement, the nine associations commit to working together to:

Promote ethical interactions among companies and HCPs by encouraging companies to adopt compliance programs and policies consistent with the applicable industry codes;

• Provide guidance to the medical technology industry at large on ethical business conduct relating to companies’ interactions with HCPs;
• Support education and compliance of companies with all applicable laws, regulations, or professional codes (including national association codes) that may impose more stringent requirements, relating to companies’ interactions with HCPs; and
• Work together to advance ethical collaborations consistent with the respective codes globally, through regular communication, joint policies (where appropriate), joint activities, and other appropriate collaborations.