Eucomed and AdvaMed Sign Agreement on Ethical Interactions

Two of the largest and most influential medical technology trade associations in the world have signed a trans-Atlantic statement on ethical interactions between medtech companies and healthcare professionals (HCPs). John Wilkinson, Chief Executive of Eucomed and Stephen J. Ubl, President and CEO of AdvaMed, which represents the US medtech industry, concluded the agreement during a ceremony yesterday at the 2010 International Medical Device Industry Compliance Conference in Berlin. Christine Tarrajat, Director-General of the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association (EDMA), also signed on to this statement.

“The signing of this trans-Atlantic statement shows our industry’s unwavering commitment to develop a cohesive international approach to interactions between medical technology companies and healthcare providers,” said Ubl. “We welcome EDMA’s agreement to adopt this statement and urge other associations to do the same. By working to harmonise and extend our collective ethical standards on a global level, we increase transparency into these relationships and demonstrate their critical role in continued medical innovation and improved patient outcomes.”

“The trans-Atlantic statement signed today by Eucomed and AdvaMed is a significant step forward in our industry’s mission to provide consistent transparency and ethical standards across international borders,” said Wilkinson. “It is essential that these collaborative partnerships between the medical technology industry and healthcare stakeholders preserve public confidence in the integrity of patient care, treatment and product selection decisions and promote a mutually responsible use of public funds,” he said.

Under this agreement, AdvaMed and Eucomed commit to working together to:

• Promote ethical interactions among companies and HCPs by encouraging companies to adopt compliance programmes and policies consistent with the AdvaMed or Eucomed 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
• Work together to advance ethical collaborations consistent with the AdvaMed and Eucomed codes globally, through regular communication, joint policies (where appropriate), joint activities, and other appropriate collaborations.

The Eucomed Code of Ethics and sundry supporting documents can be accessed on the association’s website.

Tags: 2010 International Medical Device Industry Compliance Conference, AdvaMed, ethics, Eucomed