The Geneva-based International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO), International Council of Nurses (ICN), International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and the World Medical Association (WMA) have established a Consensus Framework for Ethical Collaboration to support partnerships that will aim to deliver greater patient benefits and support high quality patient care.

Derived from the individual codes of ethical practice and health policy positions of the five supporting organizations, this framework is based on four overarching principles: putting patients first; supporting ethical research and innovation; ensuring independence and ethical conduct; and promoting transparency and accountability.

Advancing medical knowledge and improving health depend on regular information-sharing interactions between all partners. While individual codes of practice govern the activities of each group, this broad-based consensus framework applies across much of the healthcare community to include interactions involving patients, nurses, pharmacists, doctors, and the healthcare industry.

“Ensuring ethical conduct, transparency and accountability are key in the development and testing of medicines and other health technologies,” said Marie-Paule Kieny, assistant director-general for Health Systems and Innovation at the World Health Organization. “We encourage all organizations involved to examine ways to develop monitoring mechanisms that can support these principles.”

“Because navigating the healthcare system can be very challenging for patients, they need to trust that the care they receive is based on accurate information,” said Joanna Groves, chief executive officer at IAPO. “Following the principles outlined in this Framework will help ensure high quality patient care.”

“Core to the Consensus Framework is the transparency and accountability of our work,” said David Benton, chief executive officer of ICN. “By signing this document, each organisation commits to open, transparent and informed decision-making and action, resulting in clear accountability in our actions.”

“As developed and developing economies strive to address pressing health challenges in a complex and fast-evolving healthcare environment, collaboration and trust between all partners are essential,” said Russell Williams, chair of the IFPMA Code Compliance Network (CCN) and president at Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D). “This Framework confirms shared ethical principles of our organizations to the broader healthcare community.”

"More than ever, healthcare delivery requires multiple interactions between patients, healthcare professionals, industry and other stakeholders," said Luc Besançon, general secretary and CEO of FIP. "All organizations signing this consensus framework have reaffirmed today that putting patients first is of prime importance, so that all interactions have one common objective and truly benefit the ones that really matter: the patients.”

“Heath Care requires trust and confidence in what health professionals do for their patients. Providing care is a team effort nowadays and our cooperation has to be transparent, accountable and professional,” said Otmar Kloiber, secretary general of the WMA. “However Caring and Ethics are not enough: Medicine needs scientific research to develop and to provide honest defensible answers to many open questions in healing diseases and protecting our health. Making the cooperation possible for ethical research and innovation is one of the aims of the consensus framework.”

IFPMA represents the research-based pharmaceutical companies and associations across the globe.

IAPO is the only global alliance representing patients of all nationalities across all disease areas and promoting patient-centred healthcare worldwide.

ICN is a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide to ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally.

FIP is the global federation of national associations of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists and is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO).

WMA is an international organization representing physicians. The organization was created to ensure the independence of physicians, and to work for the highest possible standards of ethical behaviour and care by physicians, at all times.