How does the MedTech Europe Code of Ethical Business Practice Affect the Activities of Professional Societies in Laboratory Medicine?

The MedTech Europe Code of Ethical Business Practice came into effect on 1 January 2018. It was created by the medical technology industry. It addresses the importance of fair management of educational grants: public disclosure of provided educational grants, compliance of conferences with the Conference Vetting System; allocation of grants to healthcare organizations (HCOs) but not to the healthcare professionals (HCPs); the need for written contracts with HCOs, etc. As a National Society and member of IFCC and EFLM, the Lithuanian Society of Laboratory Medicine (LLMD) has created a fund dedicated to the continuous professional development of LLMD member HCPs. The fund, as an instrument for the ethical use of money, corresponds to the principles of the MedTech Code of Ethical Business Practice and is an example on how HCOs can implement it to ensure ethical communication between the IVD (In Vitro Diagnostics) industry, HCOs and their member HCPs. Scarce data exists on the level of MedTech acceptance and implementation among HCOs and HCPs, thus more effort has to be made to better communicate and consequently improve fair use of the funds received from the industry, and to improve the ethical behavior of HCPs.