3M global health care expert conducts workshop in Sri Lanka

3M USA Manager of International Regulatory Affairs Scott Sardeson was recently in Sri Lanka to conduct a workshop on trends in global medical device regulations. The workshop, hosted by 3M Sri Lanka, was attended by participants from relevant organisations in the country.

The Health Care division of 3M’s global network works closely with the industry and relevant authorities through various international organisations. The workshop focused on regulatory harmonisation trends and the history of medical device regulations globally. 

ighlighted was the work of the Global Harmonisation Task Force – GHTF (which is made up of industry and regulatory agencies) in a bid to achieve greater uniformity between national medical device regulatory systems, with the aim of enhancing patient safety and increasing access to safe, effective and clinically beneficial medical technologies worldwide.

“The ASEAN region is trying to harmonise and work towards a common model through the system of classification which is of utmost importance,” states Sardeson. “It is important to classify medical devices at different risk levels and in line with harmonised international practices. If we look at countries like Singapore and Australia, we will see that they already have what is known as harmonised or standardised models and systems in place.”

 “In terms of how Sri Lanka can benefit from harmonised regulatory practices is that safe products will enter the market and unsafe products will be filtered out. Through harmonisation, Sri Lanka can also compete on a global scale as it would allow easier trade among countries. Furthermore, it could facilitate faster access to better medical devices for patients in Sri Lanka,” he noted.

3M is a global manufacturing company of which the health care division supplies medical devices and products to over 65 countries. Sardeson explained that the company has identified the benefits of harmonisation and utilises its expertise towards designing products to global specification standards.

3M’s goal is to conduct more workshops in the future and work with a broader, more targeted audience. “The response for the workshop was good and the participants were very receptive,” notes Sardeson.

 “We hope that we can continue to have these dialogues in the future and increase stakeholder engagement in Sri Lanka.”

3M Sri Lanka, a fully owned subsidiary of 3M USA began its operation in 1994 and has established itself a firm footing in diverse industries such as health care, electro communication, infrastructure, construction, apparel, woodworking, automotive aftermarkets, occupational health, safety and security and consumer and office.