History
Where Did it begin?
Through an Australian delegation of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) evolved the Australian Consensus Framework for Ethical Collaboration in the Healthcare Sector and the formation of the Australian Ethical Health Alliance.
Australia is a member economy of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). APEC has several objectives, one of which involves promoting ethical business practices in the interactions between healthcare professionals and the medical device and biopharmaceutical industry. The Business Ethics for APEC SMEs Initiative was established in 2010 to advance this effort and has convened an annual forum since 2014, which has driven the conclusion of several consensus frameworks across three continents.
APEC ministers have been encouraging economies to develop consensus frameworks as a mechanism to drive improved ethical behaviour for health systems. The first consensus framework was focused on the biopharmaceutical industry and was developed in Europe in 2013 between the world organisations representing consumers, nurses, the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacists and doctors – International Alliance of Patient’s Organisations, International Council of Nurses, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Australia, International Pharmaceutical Federation and World Medical Association.
To support the development and implementation of consensus frameworks, APEC developed the Kuala Lumpur Principles (medical device) and Mexico City Principles (biopharmaceutical), to which Australia is a proud signatory. The main premise is to promote ethical business interactions to advance patient-centric healthcare.
On 20 July 2018, an Australian delegation attended the launch of the ACF Initiative at the APEC Business Ethics for SME Forum, in Tokyo. The group, with the support of almost all of the Australian federal, state and territory health minister, launched its primary document, The Australian Consensus Framework for Ethical Collaboration in the Healthcare Sector .
In recognition of the considerable effort in developing the ACF, Australia was acknowledged at the meeting for its ethical leadership and awarded the ‘APEC Business Ethics for SMEs 2018 Lighthouse Award’ by the U.S Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia, who publicly recognised the ACF as the largest initiative in the world of its type.