Press release
House Members call for unique medical device identification to improve patient safety
Citing the need to improve patient safety and healthcare efficiency, 26 House members, led by Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Pete Sessions (R-TX), today asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require a national unique device identification (UDI) system. The Premier-supported letter urges FDA Commissioner von Eschenbach to move forward as soon as possible on a national UDI system.
"A national UDI would improve patient safety, reduce medical errors, enhance device recall processes, and improve device adverse event reporting," the lawmakers said. "We believe that our nation's health care system will benefit by having a defined UDI system with a global nomenclature that complements the FDA National Drug Code system."
The Advancing Patient Safety Coalition, of which Premier is a member, is advocating for a national UDI system. A special thanks to the Premier member hospitals who worked to get their representatives to sign on to the letter weighing-in to the FDA.