Consultation on a new Code of Practice for the Expert Advisory Committees
We are consulting on a set of proposals to improve and strengthen the Code of Practice for experts who provide advice on which decisions about the regulation of medicines and medical devices are based, to ensure that experts providing the advice are independent and impartial, and that the processes in place to manage conflicts of interest are robust and clear to all.
Through the proposals outlined in this consultation we aim to:
- Actively manage conflicts of interest and associated issues of gifts, hospitality, other payments and influence
- Proactively support individuals to ensure that they know what is and is not acceptable – to prevent wrongdoing from occurring
- Provide the public with accessible information so that they can see what is happening and, where appropriate, ask questions
- Take firm and decisive action when individual wrongdoing is discovered – including where appropriate, disciplinary action
The proposed changes also seek to encourage greater inclusion of patient and their representatives in advisory committee discussions, so that individuals with lived and personal experience can contribute to discussions more easily.
We look forward to receiving views on these proposals from all interested parties – patients, manufacturers and suppliers, researchers, developers, clinicians, other healthcare professionals and the wider public - to allow us to review them further and refine them so that they reflect best practice.
We invite you to respond to our questions here.
This consultation will run for six weeks, from 12 April until 24 May 2022.