| There are many reasons for medical device regulation | | | | procedure and careful processing to ensure that they |
| and for businesses in the pharmaceutical and medical | | | | remain of the finest quality and safety to the |
| industry, not least to ensure that patients and end | | | | end-user. Medical items that are considered to be a |
| users of their products receive the very best quality, | | | | high risk category are things such as heart valves, |
| value for money and most crucially, that medical | | | | stents and implants for breast replacements for |
| devises are safe. | | | | patients being treated by mastectomy. |
| Some medical device regulation applies to devices as | | | | Responsible for ensuring that medical equipment |
| simple as surgical gloves or hand operated dentist | | | | regulation is carried out in the UK, the Medicines and |
| equipment such as dental mirrors. These items, whilst | | | | Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) |
| requiring some degree of medical device regulation | | | | carries out extensive work with medical device |
| don't fall into the heavily regulated category due to | | | | organisations to ensure that they remain compliant |
| the fact that they are not considered to be high risk | | | | and safe to EU regulations, protecting patients from |
| items. | | | | poor practice and device manufacturers from the |
| The next level of medical device regulation would | | | | legal ramifications of inadequate business protocols. |
| apply to slightly higher risk items that are made by | | | | Ensuring safety is the key promise that any form of |
| the medical devices industry. These would be items | | | | regulation is charged with delivering, and in a world full |
| like x-ray machines or powered wheelchairs. | | | | of ever increasing regulatory complications, it makes |
| Finally the most highly regulated medical items are | | | | sense for many medical equipment businesses to |
| those that would be considered extremely high risk | | | | seek consultancy advice from experts in this field. |
| and therefore go through even more stringent test, | | | | |