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Smith & Nephew Endoscopy develops, manufactures, and markets worldwide products for use in Endoscopy and other areas of minimally invasive and reconstructive surgery. The purpose of this policy is to protect the safety and health of all Smith & Nephew Endoscopy employees handling and processing returned products that have been opened and/or used in the field.

• No products may be returned to Smith & Nephew Endoscopy unless a Return Authorization (RA) number has been issued. RA numbers are obtained by contacting our Customer Service department and at a minimum should be printed on the outside of the return packaging.
• Returned product without an RA number is considered unauthorized and may need to be rerouted back to the shipper.
• All products returned to Smith & Nephew Endoscopy must be accompanied by a signed certification, confirming they have been cleaned and/or sterilized using appropriate procedures.
• Products returned in their original unopened packaging do not require a signed certificate, providing that sterility (as appropriate) is maintained and the product has not been compromised in any way. Original package/container seals will be inspected to determine integrity.
• As a Smith & Nephew Endoscopy customer, you will be reminded of this policy and certificate when an RA number is issued. A sample Certificate of Decontamination shall be provided and this certificate, or equivalent, shall be accepted.
• Contaminated reusable product shall be cleaned (including external surfaces) following Cleaning and Sterilization procedures outlined in the most recent Users/Operations/Service Manual, or by using equivalent customer procedures.
• Cleaning and sterilization procedures can now also be found on our website, endo.smith-nephew.com, under the heading Policies and Procedures and Reusable Device Instructions. A copy of this policy and sample decontamination certificate can also be found on the website.
• Single-use devices should also be processed to ensure decontamination, as appropriate.
• It is the customer's sole responsibility to ensure that product being returned is decontaminated.
• Smith & Nephew Endoscopy may need to contact a customer that incorrectly returns product and request either a decontamination certificate or authorization to dispose of the equipment. The customer may also make arrangements to retrieve the product from Smith & Nephew Endoscopy.
• Smith & Nephew Endoscopy will not handle or arrange shipping for contaminated products. It shall be the responsibility of the customer to reclaim their product, including associated transportation costs.
• Equipment that is found to have been misused (e.g., filters removed from Insufflation equipment) or cleaned using an unsatisfactory method, may not be accepted for processing.
• If the customer has not provided a decontamination certificate, authorized disposal, or arranged transportation within 10 business days after initial notification, Smith & Nephew Endoscopy may be required to appropriately dispose of the product.
• Associated product disposal fees shall be the responsibility of the customer and will be billed. Associated equipment charges, as necessary, shall also be the responsibility of the customer.
• This policy supersedes any prior written or oral instruction to return contaminated product to Smith & Nephew Endoscopy for decontamination.