Code of Business Practice

The updated SAMED Code of Business Practice represents many months of hard work and effort. Sincere thanks to Mr Mike Howe-Ely Chairman of the SAMED Code of Business Practice Portfolio Committee and his team for their support in this process.

From the outset, it is important to emphasize that the updated SAMED Code of Business Practice underpins SAMEDs vision i.e.:

The responsible and ethical advancement of the interests of the medical devices industry within the SA healthcare environment while promoting better patient outcomes

Purpose of the Code:

The fundamental purpose of the Code is to promote and encourage among SAMED Members, ethical principles and practices. As such it is envisaged that the Code will become an essential guide and support for SAMED members in their business interactions with their customers. The Code is not a rule book, but gives guidance, and this guidance springs from chosen ethical values. Such ethical values include:

• an industry that is socially responsible towards not only its customers, but to society at large and patients in particular and

• the desire to promote a spirit of co-operation and shared responsibility among public and private health care professionals and providers, which shall include the State, as well as other relevant sectors, within the context of effective, efficient and transparent health care delivery.

In support of these values, the underpinning principle of the Code is that SAMED members will not offer any inappropriate inducement to a healthcare professional or other customer in order to sell, lease, recommend, or arrange for the sale or lease of their products.

SAMED will endeavour to ensure that the Code is circulated to all key Stakeholders i.e. health care professionals, hospitals, Government, Tender Authorities, Funders etc and that it be accepted as the basis for engagement with these parties.

The SAMED Code will be binding on all SAMED Members and be a condition for new and ongoing membership. The Code will be continuously reviewed, borrowing from best practice both locally and globally. In fact much of what appears in SAMEDs Code has been adopted from the Eucomed and Advamed Codes of Business Practice.

The Code also includes a question and answer section to assist SAMED members in the interpretation and practical implementation of the Code.

The Code will be enforced through the efforts of a formally constituted SAMED Ethics Committee governed by documented and legally compliant processes. Being a voluntary code, SAMED urges its members to adhere to the Code and report any infringements to the SAMED Ethics Committee.

However the true mark of success of this Code will be the extent to which SAMED members buy in to and ensure that their business practices support the objectives of the Code.

Yours truly

Tanya Vogt

SAMED CEO