Is CPD necessary in our sector?

Is CPD necessary in our sector?

As our governing body, the BEAI have a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme in place. It’s there so they can work with industry professionals so they can improve and maintain their skills and knowledge throughout their careers.The organisation see CPD as an integral component in the continuing development of safe and effective services for the benefit of service users, ergo it is more than a necessary component in todays marketplace. It ensures healthcare professionals stay current with the latest advancements, maintain their competence, and meet regulatory requirements. CPD helps doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers deliver the highest quality of care. 

As a distributor to the majority of medical establishments on the island, we also have a duty of care to stay current, so as professionals we can make more informed decisions, and ultimately improve patient outcomes. As our mission is to improve healthcare for all, we regularly attend events and conferences both here and abroad in order to stay current. 

Biomedical and Clinical Engineering Association of Ireland

Irish Hospital Supplies are proud to be a corporate member of the BEAI and proud to have attended the 27th Annual Scientific Conference each year which was held in Croak Park. The Biomedical & Clinical Engineering Association of Ireland (BEAI) was established in 1992 in response to the growing number of engineers working on electro-medical equipment. Their vision is to be the voice and thought leader for medical technology professionals in Ireland.

What does Article 10a mean for the industry?

Article 10a of the MDR/IVDR came into effect on the 10^th January 2025, but what does this mean for importers and distributors of medical devices and in-vitro diagnostics?

Article 10a rule obliges manufacturers to notify EU authorities and their customers in advance of supply interruptions and product device discontinuations if these could pose a risk of severe harm to patients

The information obligation regarding an anticipated interruption or discontinuation of device supply in Article 10a of the MDR/IVDR is intended to have a cascading effect. The information originating from the manufacturer, should be passed to other economic operators in the downstream supply, until it reaches the relevant health institutions, or healthcare professionals.

Relevant economic operators therefore who have received information from the manufacturer under Article 10a(1) of the MDR/IVDR or another economic operator in the supply chain (e.g. from importers or distributors), are expected to further share this information ‘without undue delay’ with other economic operators, health institutions and healthcare professionals to whom they directly supply the device. It is expected that economic operators do not change, add to or paraphrase the communication received from the manufacturer so as to preserve its integrity.

Ref; Q&A Obligation to inform in case of interruption or discontinuation of supply published on https://health.ec.europa.eu/

IDI Annual Congress 2024

Irish Hospital Supplies were very proud to support and participate in the Irish Decontamination Institute Annual Congress held in Hudson Bay Hotel Athlone on 14^th and 15^th of November 2024.  As always, the congress was very well supported by hospital and industry representatives alike.  The talks were very informative with great guest speakers and the social event on Thursday evening provided a great opportunity for everybody to catch up.  Many thanks to the IDI for their hospitality and we look forward to supporting you again in the future.

During the congress we showcased Humipak which is a moisture retention pouch for post-operative instrument handling, designed to inhibit hydrophobic proteins adhering to surgical instruments by creating a moist environment.

https://www.westmed.co.uk/prod/hospital-sterile-services/humipak-moisture-retention-pouch/humipak/

We also demonstrated Ultra pouches and reels, a packaging concept for medical devices that replaces traditional reusable containers and wrap systems.  The innovative reinforced porous side of Ultra offers much higher resistance to perforation compared to conventional pouches and wraps.

https://www.sterimed.fr/en/products/solutions-for-patient-care-units/ultra-pouches-and-reels-ultra-the-most-versatile-sterile-barrier-system

Irish Hospital Supplies would like to thank Westfield Medical for their support during the conference.

In attendance were Sales Directors Darren Costello and Kieran Healy, Sales Representatives Ken Walsh, Trevor Mulcahy, Andy Leonard, Karl Hogan, Ian Bolt of Irish Hospital Supplies and Hospital Sales Manager Phil Ashcroft of Westfield Medical.