Technology Companies in their Interaction
with Healthcare Professionals
representing the medical devices industry,
adopted a new Code of Ethical Business
Practice (the "Revised MedTech Code"),
with the objective of regulating all
aspects of the interaction between the
medical device industry and healthcare
professionals, in order to reinforce ethical
standards.
MedTech Europe calculates that it
represents over 25,000 European medical
technology companies. MedTech Europe's
guidelines and rules are followed by
members and non-members alike.
to set minimum standards across the
MedTech Europe geographic area, but
not to supersede any national laws or
regulations or any professional association
or company codes of ethics that provide
for more strict requirements.
About by the Revised MedTech
Code
rules apply to the relationship between
medical technology companies and
healthcare professionals. These rules
include:
of healthcare professionals throughout
2017;
giving of educational grants: they
must be publicly disclosed, can only
be provided to a legal entity (which
will then select the individuals
receiving them), and must be the
result of a grant request followed by
an independent and objective process
within the company giving the grant;
all aspects of medical conferences:
strictly scientific/medical program,
appropriate location and venue, no
entertainment, reasonable hospitality,
and no spouses or guests; and
review the compliance of third-party
educational conferences with the
Revised MedTech Code, and will
decide whether it is appropriate for
events through educational grants,
promotional activity or satellite
symposia.
technology companies will no longer
be able to directly invite healthcare
professionals and pay for their expenses
for attending third-party organized
medical conferences as attendees or
listeners.
A third-party organized medical
conference must be interpreted broadly
to include any educational, scientific or
medical conference organized by national,
regional or specialty associations,
societies, hospitals, professional
conference organizers, patient
organizations or accredited medical
education providers.
Support to healthcare professionals
directly from medical technology
companies will continue to be permitted
only if healthcare professionals are
under consultancy agreements, or
procedure training.
Medical technology companies
will only be able to sponsor healthcare
professionals attending medical
conferences as mere attendees or
listeners through a more strict system
of educational grants paid to hospitals,
scientific societies and other healthcare
organizations, who will then choose which
healthcare professionals can benefit from
such grants and attend conferences.
contractual, corporate law and mergers and
acquisitions. She represents Spanish and
international clients doing business in Spain and
abroad. Clients include companies in the medical,
real estate and consumer goods areas. She has
worked in Spain, the United States and Chile.
Mestre Nicolau 19
2ª planta
Barcelona, Spain 08021
1961bcn.com