As the Right to Repair movement continues to seek independence from medical device manufacturers regarding device maintenance rights, the remanufacturing these devices may start to become a larger part of the conversation.
Medical device remanufacturing is the new front in the right-to-repair fight according to advocates who want users to have the ability to fix their own devices rather than rely on the manufacturer. While advocates continue to lobby for legislation locally and nationally on the issue, they warn that medtech industry groups are trying to find other ways to limit the ability of individuals and third-parties to repair devices.
When US lawmakers proposed draft legislation to reauthorize the Medical Device User Fee Amendments (MDUFA V) earlier this year, right-to-repair advocates say medical device groups tried to introduce language that would have made it illegal to make any changes to their products according to Kevin O’Reilly, campaign director for the US Public Interest Research Group’s (US PIRG) Right to Repair campaign.
In a letter dated March 25 to the chair and ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) committee, US PIRG warned that language floated by the medtech industry to be included in the user fee reauthorization bill could further increase health care costs and reduce access to treatments.
Read the full story at the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society.
