The Code of Ethics of the International Society of Blood Transfusion
Abstract
The Code of Ethics of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) was first published in 19811. The Code has since been revised on two occasions, most recently in 2006. The main content however remains largely unchanged from the original version. The Code has been endorsed by the World Health Organization, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and by the International Federation of Donor Organizations2. The current version of the Code is available on the ISBT website3. The opening statement of the current version of the Code identifies its objective as being “to define the ethical principles and rules to be observed in the field of Transfusion Medicine”. In the original version this was extended to identify that “these should form the basis of national legislation and regulation”1. The Code might thus be considered a tool for advocacy and, at least in part, to be aspirational in nature. It reflects the views of a professional society as to “what should be” and as such it is appropriate for it to challenge the status quo of the world we inhabit today.
A key driver to the establishment of the Code was increasing concern from professionals involved in the field of transfusion of the impact of the development of the commercial plasma industry utilising plasma collected from individuals who received payment2. Over the ensuing 35 years the dominance of the commercial industry has increased significantly. The development of the Code was closely…
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