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ISO 13485-2003 Certification Management system for medical device manufacturers (ISO 13485:2003) specifies requirements for a quality management system where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to provide medical devices and related services that consistently meet customer requirements and regulatory requirements applicable to medical devices and related services.
The primary objective of ISO 13485:2003 is to facilitate harmonized medical device regulatory requirements for quality management systems. As a result, it includes some particular requirements for medical devices and excludes some of the requirements of ISO 9001 that are not appropriate as regulatory requirements. Because of these exclusions, organizations whose quality management systems conform to this International Standard cannot claim conformity to ISO 9001 unless their quality management systems conform to all the requirements of ISO 9001.
All requirements of ISO 13485:2003 are specific to organizations providing medical devices, regardless of the type or size of the organization.
If regulatory requirements permit exclusions of design and development controls, this can be used as a justification for their exclusion from the quality management system. These regulations can provide alternative arrangements that are to be addressed in the quality management system. It is the responsibility of the organization to ensure that claims of conformity with ISO 13485:2003 reflect exclusion of design and development controls.
If any requirement(s) in Clause 7 of ISO 13485:2003 is(are) not applicable due to the nature of the medical device(s) for which the quality management system is applied, the organization does not need to include such a requirement(s) in its quality management system.
The processes required by ISO 13485:2003, which are applicable to the medical device(s), but which are not performed by the organization, are the responsibility of the organization and are accounted for in the organization's quality management system.
Tech Tips
- 13485 emphasize meeting regulatory as well as customer requirements, risk management and maintaining effective processes.
- 13485 is in part designed to produce a management system that facilitates compliance to the requirements of customers and global regulators.
- Benefits can be reaped from being both 9001 and 13485 certified, because 9001 focuses on business aspects not found in 13485 that are good for all businesses.
Benefits of Dual Certification: 13485 & 9001
Medical device manufacturers can benefit from being both 9001 and 13485 certified. While such manufacturers are not required to have 9001 certification, it can bring further business benefits, because it focuses on business aspects that are good for all businesses-for example, the emphasis on customer satisfaction and continuous process improvement that a 13485 management system omits. Manufactures of medical devices also will need to acquire 9001 certification if they want to branch out to other industries, as 13485 certification will not be honored where 9001.
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