Shall laboratory applications - office pathology QAP

Abstract

Before the Federal Government introduced Laboratory Accreditation three years ago, there was no control of, nor limitation on who could do pathology tests in Australia, how they did them nor how much they could charge, provided only that the account was rendered by a doctor. The College played a major role in achieving Laboratory Accreditation and the development of this legislation is described together with the present situation, particularly as it affects laboratories which are not supervised by Specialist Pathologists. Some GP's and some Specialist Physicians have done simple pathology testing for many years. Recent technological advances have increased their potential, but Accreditation and a new awareness of the standards of laboratory work have made QA and QC essential in a field in which they had not been widely practised. Council authorised the development of a QAP designed for these and other smaller laboratories which is now in its third year of operation. This paper described the content of the program, the numbers and types of laboratory which use any of its various parts and indicateo what the QAP has achieved and how it may develop. Before the Federal Government introduced Laboratory Accreditation three years ago, there was no control of, nor limitation on who could do pathology tests in Australia, how they did them nor how much they could charge, provided only that the account was rendered by a doctor. The College played a major role in achieving Laboratory Accreditation and the development of this legislation is described together with the present situation, particularly as it affects laboratories which are not supervised by Specialist Pathologists. Some GP's and some Specialist Physicians have done simple pathology testing for many years. Recent technological advances have increased their potential, but Accreditation and a new awareness of the standards of laboratory work have made QA and QC essential in a field in which they had not been widely practised. Council authorised the development of a QAP designed for these and other smaller laboratories which is now in its third year of operation. This paper described the content of the program, the numbers and types of laboratory which use any of its various parts and indicateo what the QAP has achieved and how it may develop.