Eucomed to launch conference pre-vetting system

Europe's medical technology industry association will launch a vetting system early next year to review and approve third-party educational conferences. Eucomed will assess whether conferences adhere to rules established in its code of ethical business practice. It is the first system of its kind in the healthcare industry because of its mandatory nature.

Eucomed's corporate members have been able to sponsor third-party educational conferences to promote scientific knowledge, medical advancement and assist in the delivery of effective healthcare as long as the conferences comply with the organization's code. The system had allowed each member to make his or her own determination regarding compliance. The new pre-vetting system will provide uniform compliance regulations applicable to all Eucomed members, according to an association statement.

"The conference pre-vetting system is a unique initiative in the healthcare sector," explains John McLoughlin, chairman of the compliance panel, in a statement. "It will be supervised solely by our Panel which is a completely independent body... [I]f a conference receives a negative assessment, Eucomed members may not sponsor either the conference or individual healthcare professionals who wish to attend the conference."

The system has been constructed to conform to anti-trust legislation. It will begin as a pilot and will be evaluated and reviewed 6 to 12 months post-launch. The organization is supporting and sponsoring the system, but its supervision falls under the independent compliance panel.

- see the Eucomed statement