Quality of Medical Laboratories: Proficiency test for laboratories: Molecular biology : microbiology

The Laboratory Quality Department (Sciensano) was created in 1978 by the publication of the first decree approving clinical biology laboratories. Until 1988, the department was concerned only with the accreditation of laboratories as regards their inspection, the secretariat of the Clinical Biology Commission and the Appeal Board and the purely administrative management of external quality control. The evaluation of quality control was then entrusted to control laboratories recognized for this purpose. The second version of the Order for the Accreditation of Clinical Biology Laboratories (1989) provided for a national programme of external quality control fully coordinated by Sciensano. As a result, the department's activities became increasingly important and allowed for more uniform supervision of laboratory quality. For the organization of external quality programs, the Quality department of medical laboratories has an ISO/EIC 17043 accreditation. Since 1993, laboratories have prepared themselves for the obligation to work within the framework of a quality assurance system, as laid down in the Accreditation Order of 3 December 1999. This project concerns the QML proficiency test for “Molecular biology: microbiology.