Discover the ETHICS Code of Conduct !

The new ETHICS CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT FOR HEALTHCARE ETHICS & COMPLIANCE PROFESSIONALS is now a reality (you will find the full Code by clicking here).

The ETHICS Code is the culmination of a year-long effort by the working group which was created after the 2019 General Assembly during which the concept of a code for the members of ETHICS was approved. The working group was headed by Piergiorgio Pepe and included Stephen Nguyen-Duc, who represented the Strategic Committee, Giota Papamarkou, Bella Hovhannisyan, Eveline Loriaux, Edoardo Lazzarini and the ETHICS Executive Director, Clarisse Aillet.

It was presented in draft form to the General Assembly on November 12, 2020 and was formally adopted by the ETHICS Board on December 4, 2020.

During the 2020 General Assembly, Giota Papamarkou, introduced the draft Code to our members and summarized its various sections. The Code is comprised of a Preamble and three main Sections: Duties to the Public Interest, Duties to the Profession and Duties to the Employer.

The Preamble sets forth the basic philosophy behind the Code which is that ethics, integrity and trust must always come first in the work we do. The Code also emphasizes the strategic role that healthcare ethics and compliance professionals must play in their organizations and offers guidance to members when faced with conflicts. Finally, the Preamble states that the rules set out in the Code are not compulsory, but rather “an instrument of professional and personal self-reflection” in order to help members “understand the scale of our duties, recognize our moral commitments and responsibilities, and make the right choices all along the way.”

Section 1 of the Code (Duties to the Public Interest) is comprised of six subsections that deal with the standards that Ethics and Compliance Professionals are expected to meet and emphasizes that non-compliant activities must not be tolerated.

Section 2 of the Code (Duties to the Profession) includes seven subsections which set out the standards of conduct and professionalism that Ethics and Compliance Professionals must respect as well as the requirement of ensuring the fair and equal treatment of everyone inside and outside of their organizations.

Section 3 of the Code (Duties to the Employer) contains fifteen subsections with guidance on how Ethics and Compliance Professionals should conduct themselves within their organizations.