June 29, 2015, Beijing: the 2015 China Forum on Ethical Business Practices for Pharmaceutical Enterprises jointly organized by nine pharmaceutical industry associations officially opened in Beijing today. Under the theme of "Multi-Stakeholder Coordination and Implementation of Compliance", this conference aims to promote the coordination between pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors and regulatory authorities, enhance industry self-discipline and further regulate the interactions between the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors through the promotion of Pharmaceutical Enterprise Ethical Business Practice (hereinafter referred to as the " Ethical Business Practice") and strengthening industry self-discipline. Deputy Director-General of the Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) Mr. Xing Yong and Director of Division of Exchange and Cooperation of the Departments of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) Mr. Zhou Jian attended the forum and delivered speeches.
China played host to the APEC meetings of 2014. After the convening of the SME Business Ethics Forum under the theme of "Improving the Business Ethics Environment for Medical Device and Pharmaceutical Sectors" in early September of last year, the APEC SME Business Ethics Working Group released the Nanjing Declaration on Improving Business Ethics in Medical Device and Biopharmaceutical Sectors before 2020, which identified the following objectives for the medical device and biomedicine industry of various APEC economies: between 2012 and 2015, the number of medical devices and biomedicine associations compliant with the Ethical Business Practice will be doubled and by 2020, efforts will be made to promote the adoption and implementation of APEC principles by the entire industry. The Ethical Business Practice originates from the APEC Codes of Business Ethics for Biopharmaceutical Sector, known as the Mexico City Principles. With the inclusion of eight new pharmaceutical industry associations at this conference, a total of 17 Chinese associations (with the name list attached below) have joined in the promotion of Ethical Business Practice with extensive representation in the industry.
Drug R&D, manufacturing, distribution and consumption are highly relevant with the life and health of patients. The complexity of product consumption and the diversity and uncertainties of patient conditions require close interactions and communication between healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. In addition, the maximal protection of patient interests may be achieved only by ensuring that such interactions comply with ethics and are based on science. Achievement of this principle not only relies upon self-discipline of pharmaceutical industry, but requires the support and coordination of multiple regulatory authorities to guide the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors to reach a consensus on codes of ethics regarding interaction and cooperation between the two sectors with patient interests at the heart, with a view to coordinating the codes of conduct between pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.
PricewaterhouseCoopers and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. made presentations at the forum about experiences on how to promote compliance to reduce corporate operational risks and how to create corporate compliance systems. Officials from the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association (CPA), the Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CMDA) and the Chinese Medical Association (CMA) attended this forum.
Advocating entities of Codes of Ethics for Pharmaceutical Enterprises
China Pharmaceutical Industry Association (CPIA)
China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicines & Health Products (CCCMHPIE)
China Pharmaceutical Industry Research and Development Association (PhIRDA)
The R&D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee (RDPAC)
China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CATCM)
China Association of Pharmaceutical Commerce (CAPC)
China Non-Prescription Medicines Association (CNMA)
Pharmaceutical Enterprise Promotion Association (CPEP)
China Association of Cultural Development for Pharmaceutical Enterprises
All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, Medical Pharmaceutical Chamber
China Association for Medical Devices Industry (CAMDI)
China Pharmaceutical Packaging Association (CPPA)
China Medicine Education Association (CMEA)
China Pharmaceutical Enterprise Management Association (CPEMA)
China Pharmaceutical Association of Plant Engineering (CPAPE)
China Medicinal Biotechnology Association (CMBA)
China Quality Association for Pharmaceuticals (CQAP)
(Arranged in the order of Chinese pinyin)
Review of Previous Rounds of the China Forum on Codes of Ethics for Pharmaceutical Enterprises:
On October 29, 2013, nine Chinese domestic pharmaceutical associations and chambers of commerce jointly organized the "Launch Ceremony of Pharmaceutical Enterprise Ethical Business Practice" under the guidance of the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. At the launch ceremony, the letter of appeal for the implementation of the Pharmaceutical Enterprise Ethical Business Practice for Pharmaceutical Enterprises (hereinafter referred to as the "Codes of Ethics") have been jointly signed by the China Pharmaceutical Industry Association (CPIA), China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicines & Health Products (CCCMHPIE), China Pharmaceutical industry Research and Development Association (Sino-PhIRDA), the R&D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee (RDPAC), China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CATCM), China Association of Pharmaceutical Commerce (CAPC), Pharmaceutical Enterprise Promotion Association (CPEP), and China Association of Cultural Development for Pharmaceutical Enterprises. The letter of appeal calls upon stakeholders of pharmaceutical sector to comply with the six principles of dedication to health care and patients, honesty, independence, lawfulness, transparency and accountability enshrined in the Pharmaceutical Enterprise Ethical Business Practice, and comply with various clauses of the Pharmaceutical Enterprise Ethical Business Practice. In addition, it also appeals that the government continue enhancing reform, conduct administration in accordance with law, create incentives and disincentives and clean up the market to regulate China's pharmaceutical market and build a reliable and orderly healthcare market for the benefit of the people.
After the signing of implementation of the letter of appeal for the Pharmaceutical Enterprise Ethical Business Practice by nine pharmaceutical associations and chambers of commerce in Beijing in 2013, nine pharmaceutical associations and chambers of commerce held the 2014 China Forum on Ethical Business Practices for Pharmaceutical Enterprises in Beijing on May 27, 2014 to further promote the implementation of the Pharmaceutical Enterprise Ethical Business Practice, strengthen industry credibility system development and proactively implement industry self-discipline. The National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) attended the forum. At the forum, representatives of the nine associations and six recommended enterprises of pharmaceutical industry and commerce shared their experiences and reflections on the promotion, learning, understanding and implementation of Pharmaceutical Enterprise Ethical Business Practice. Meanwhile, in ensuring that patients have access to the most appropriate diagnosis and treatment, patients, healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical industry and relevant organizations all have unique roles and responsibilities. Delegates of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufactures Associations (IFPMA) made presentations about the Consensual Framework Document on the Ethical Cooperation among Patient Organizations, Health Care Professionals and Pharmaceutical Industry instituted in Geneva in January 2014. Officials of the Chinese Medical Association (CMA), the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association (CPA), Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CMDA) and Chinese Hospital Association attended the forum and expressed the agreement that patient interests and health industry development can only be ensured by creating mutual trust and respect, coordinating Pharmaceutical Enterprise Ethical Business Practice among stakeholders and adopting common objectives and principles.
