Following its last meeting hosted in Porto on 10 May by the Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas, FEDCAR has adopted the following advocacy relating to ethics and corporate dentistry :
«Throughout Europe, all regulated health professionals must comply with legislative codes, regulations and procedures designed to protect the public interest. Several health regulators have the power to apply disciplinary measures for breaches in these requirements.
An increasing number of commercial entities which includes partnerships, are investing in dentistry. In many cases, these entities are based outside of the countries in which the dental services are being provided and, on occasion, are based entirely outside of the European Union. There can be a tension between the commercial focus of a business to generate profit and the obligations on regulated professionals to act ethically. The priorities of commercial entities do not naturally align with the objective of providing patient care. It can therefore be difficult for professionals to meet their legal and ethical obligations to act in the best interests of their patients and simultaneously meet commercial targets and obligations.
The burden of balancing these conflicting objectives is significant and can, without proper oversight, unduly favour the commercial interest over the public interest. The consequences of failing to balance these conflicting objectives appear to fall mainly on health professionals and their patients and not on the commercial entities.
Consequently, the hereby undersigned call on the Member States of the European Union, including the EEA countries, as well as political parties and their new elected members following the European elections to introduce an appropriate form of regulation, which includes the ability to sanction, that obliges commercial and collective entities to respect and support the professional’s legal and ethical obligations in the best interests of patients.»