The healthcare sector has been met with various legal developments in recent years which have brought increasingly strict regulatory requirements. These have posed a challenge for all stakeholders in the healthcare industry, and, as such, also for the field of laboratory medicine.
In addition, not only in healthcare but in practically all sectors of the economy, compliance issues (i.e., legally compliant conduct) have become all the more important. Similarly, self-regulatory measures relating to transparency and integrity in business relationships and fair and equitable competition have increased. In light of this, as of 1 April 2022, the FAMH and several leading players in laboratory medicine have introduced the FAMH Code of Conduct, which reflects the existing legal obligations regarding integrity in Switzerland and acts as a specific, supplementary set of rules. As such, it satisfies a key concern of the FAMH to set industry compliance standards at a high level – and to raise its members’ awareness surrounding this matter.
The FAMH Code of Conduct is thus intended to enable laboratory medicine to navigate the complex regulatory environment and to create a system in which any potential transgressions can be investigated. It has therefore been designed to serve as another pillar for fair and equitable competition among the healthcare actors involved and to foster trust between patients, customers, politicians and financiers. This enables the laboratory medicine sector to proactively reinforce its own accountability.
As members, we are proud to wear the Code of Conduct membership logo as an expression of our commitment to transparency and integrity in healthcare.
Likewise, we see it as our duty not only to be a part of the FAMH Swiss Code of Conduct Association as a member, but also to be actively represented in the Code of Conduct Commission.