2020 Report on Code of Ethics Implementation by Medical Device Industry Associations in the APEC Region

The Business Ethics for APEC SMEs Initiative monitors code of ethics development and implementation by 34 medical device sector industry associations across the APEC region. These enterprises constitute a significant majority of the firms that develop, manufacture, market, or distribute medical device and diagnostic products in the region. When the initiative’s capacity-building program was launched in 2012 to support implementation of the APEC Kuala Lumpur Principles, 13 of the medical device sector industry associations had a code of ethics. In 2020, 31 of these associations have a code of ethics or formalized commitment. The initiative remains dedicated to meeting the goal of adoption and implementation of codes of ethics by a majority of member enterprises of medical device industry associations. The initiative continues to pursue universal code of ethics adoption by medical device sector industry associations by 2020, with the remaining three associations located in China, Singapore, and Chinese Taipei. 

This report has been prepared for the 2020 APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum to indicate where progress has been made since 2012, and where challenges remain, for the region’s medical device sector industry associations in (a) code governance; (b) code alignment with the APEC Principles; (c) member enterprise implementation of the code; and (d) external stakeholder engagement on the code. The data presented in this report has been provided by industry associations through surveys and sourced from publicly available information.