The quality of medical devices directly impacts their effectiveness and the safety of patients, users and other persons. For these reasons, most national regulatory schemes require manufacturers and suppliers of medical devices to establish an internal quality management system.
In the EU, the requirements of EN ISO 13485 have been harmonised with the General Safety and Performance requirements of the EU’s Medical Device Regulation and In-Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device Regulation. Certification to EN ISO 13485 by an accredited certification body provides a presumption of conformity with the General Safety and Performance requirements of these important regulations.
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have updated their requirements for Quality Management Systems to be closely aligned with ISO 13485 in January 2024. This revised part 820 is referred to as the Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR).
Health Canada also requires medical device manufacturers marketing their products in Canada to have their quality management system certified to ISO 13485 as a part of the Medical Devices Single Audit Program (MDSAP) program.
In Singapore, manufacturers, importers and wholesale suppliers of medical devices are required to comply with the updated SAC ISO 13485 accreditation program by 1 January 2025.
In South Africa, from 1 April 2025 on South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) requires all medical device manufacturers and distributors to hold an ISO 13485 certification from a SAHPRA-recognized certification body.