The problem is that an ophthalmologist provided a video of surgery to a medical device manufacturer without permission from the hospital or patient and received cash, and the hospital side was inappropriately managed under the Personal Information Protection Law.


The Fair Trade Commission, which is created in the medical device manufacturer industry, investigated that the purpose of providing cash to doctors may have been to promote the company's products, which was prohibited by the self-regulatory rules based on the prize labeling law. I learned from interviews with the people concerned that I started.


The company commented, "There may have been a problem with compliance, and we take the situation very seriously."

Five ophthalmologists working at general hospitals nationwide are cataracts using the lenses of this company with "Star Japan", which is a Japanese subsidiary of an American medical equipment manufacturer and has its head office in Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture. NHK interviewed that they had signed a contract to create a video of surgery, provided it to hospitals and patients without permission, and received cash, and each hospital said, "The management under the Personal Information Protection Law is inappropriate. "That" and so on.



There are at least 10 ophthalmologists nationwide who have received cash under a similar contract with the company, including 5 who provided it without permission, and the total amount of cash provided is 700 in the three years up to last year. It was newly found by interviewing the people concerned that it would exceed 10,000 yen.

The "Medical Device Industry Fair Trade Council" created by the medical device manufacturer industry said that the purpose of cash provision may have been to promote sales of its own products, which was prohibited by the self-regulatory rules based on the prize labeling law. It means that we have started the investigation.



If a violation is found, the council can warn the manufacturer in writing, impose a penalty of up to 1 million yen if not followed, or ask the Commissioner of the Consumer Affairs Agency to take the necessary steps.



In the future, I will ask the company about the details of the contract.



In response to NHK's interview, "Star Japan" said that "there was a program to create teaching materials for surgical techniques using intraocular lenses" for these contracts, and "there may have been a problem in terms of compliance." We report to the council and related authorities and outsource the investigation to an external law firm. We take the situation seriously and cause concern and inconvenience to medical staff, patients and their families. I apologize for being there. "