The Pilot Accreditation Scheme for Conformity Assessment Program (hereafter referred to as the ASCA Pilot) is authorized under section 514(d) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).¹ In accordance with amendments made to section 514 by the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017 (FDARA),² and as part of the enactment of the Medical Device User Fee Amendments of 2017 (MDUFA IV),³ FDA was directed to issue a guidance regarding the goals and implementation of the ASCA Pilot.⁴ The establishment of the goals, scope, procedures, and a suitable framework for the voluntary ASCA Pilot supports the Agency's continued efforts to use its scientific resources effectively and efficiently to protect and promote public health. FDA believes the voluntary ASCA Pilot may further encourage international harmonization of medical device regulation because it incorporates elements, where appropriate, from a well-established set of international conformity assessment practices and standards (e.g., ISO/IEC 17000 series). The voluntary ASCA Pilot does not supplant or alter any other existing statutory or regulatory requirements governing the decision-making process for premarket submissions.

This guidance refers to voluntary consensus standards.⁵ For the current edition of the FDA-recognized standard(s) referenced in this document, see the FDA Recognized Consensus Standards Database. For more information regarding use of standards in regulatory submissions, please refer to the FDA guidance titled Appropriate Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards in Premarket Submissions for Medical Devices and Standards Development and the Use of Standards in Regulatory Submission Reviewed in CBER.

¹ 21 U.S.C. 360d(d)

²SeePub. L. 115-52

³See also MDUFA IV Commitment Letter

⁴See section 514(d)(3)(B)

⁵ For the purposes of this guidance, the term 'standard' or 'standards' will be used to refer to 'consensus standard' or 'consensus standards'.