MTAA Code updates

Cancellation of temporary Code exemption

In April 2020 during the peak of COVID-19 and following the Code Authority Committee’s recommendation, the MTAA Board of Directors granted a temporary exemption to clause 9.9.4 of the Code of Practice Edition 11 2020 (the Code), in relation to donation of medical supplies.

After review of the current COVID-19 environment in Australia, the Code Authority recommended to cancel the temporary exemption, to which the Board agreed.

De-identified publication of MTAA Member Code Monitoring outcomes

The Code Authority Committee (CA) has discussed opportunities to increase transparency of member activity against the Code, particularly in relation to the yearly Code Monitoring activity, and agrees that an approach similar to that of Medicines Australia (however, less detailed) is the way forward to achieving this. The CA recommended to the Board that publishing the de-identified Code Monitoring outcomes on the MTAA website at the end of each year and in the MTAA Annual Report (for the year period prior) is fair and reasonable, to which the Board agreed.

The Code Monitoring information to be published will include the following:

1.     Total number of company reports reviewed (including total number of reports not received),

2.     Total number for the breakdown of what is being monitored (for example, the Board was provided with the total number of events that were reported on in 2020),

3.     Total number of follow-ups,

4.     Total number reports that were closed.