Intended for healthcare professionals

Editor's Choice

The scandal of medical device regulation

BMJ 2012; 345 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e7180 (Published 24 October 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e7180
  1. Fiona Godlee, editor, BMJ
  1. fgodlee{at}bmj.com

Try describing Europe’s system for regulating medical devices and, as Peter McCulloch says in his editorial this week, the response from your audience will be incredulous (doi:10.1136/bmj.e7126). Read his description and see if you too find yourself asking, “How could this have come about?” It’s a question that now demands urgent remedy. If this was not already clear from recent BMJ investigations (BMJ 2011;342:d2748, BMJ 2012;344:e1410), a new investigation makes it uncontrovertibly so. Working with undercover reporters from the Telegraph newspaper, the BMJ’s Deborah Cohen has exposed a fragmented, poorly regulated, market driven system, with financial incentives to prioritise manufacturers’ interests over …

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