Washington D.C. (May 7, 2021)The Alliance for Quality Medical Device Servicing applauds the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) new report to Congress on anticompetitive practices related to repair markets. As the report notes, the FTC found there is “scant evidence to support manufacturers’ justifications for repair restrictions.” The Alliance was pleased to see the FTC recognizes some of the anti-competitive behaviors that we have observed in the medical device industry. We stand behind the right of medical device owners to choose competent personnel to service and maintain their devices as they see fit without unjustified interference by device manufacturers that often result in unacceptable delays and higher costs for the owners and patients.
We are also pleased that the FTC stands ready to work with lawmakers, either at the state or federal level, to ensure that consumers and healthcare organizations have choices when they need to maintain and repair products that they purchase and own. We too will continue to work with Congress, FTC, FDA and anyone else seeking cost effective solutions that improve the quality of patient care in hospitals nationwide.
