When you operate a clinical laboratory, providing accurate results to physicians and ensuring your lab is up to code is essential. However, you may ask, “How often should I have my lab inspected to ensure it follows regulations and maintains compliance?” Read below to find out the answer and learn more about how you can prepare for an inspection.
Why Are Inspections Important
We must address why you should undergo this process before answering the question of when you should have your lab inspected. Lab inspections guarantee that your operations follow safety rules and meet the compliance standards of the regulatory or licensing body performing the inspection.
Maintaining these standards and passing inspections also assures physicians that you provide trustworthy results so that they can confidently diagnose their patients. Passing your various inspections will enhance your laboratory’s reputation and your client’s faith in your work.
When You Should Have Your Lab Inspected
You should have your lab inspected regularly, but no less than every two years. Laboratories must have their operations inspected every two years to earn a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certificate. They must also do the same to achieve certifications from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA).
How You Can Prepare for Inspections
You can prepare for CLIA, CAP, and COLA inspections with the help of a clinical lab services consultant. The firm can have its staff perform a simulated or mock inspection of your operations while following the guidelines of those organizations.
Afterward, the consulting firm can let you know what areas you need to improve in your lab so that you can correct them ahead of the real inspection. The experience will also give your employees a good idea of what the actual inspection will be like, so they will be much more ready when the day arrives.
If your lab will be undergoing an inspection soon and you want to ensure that you have prepared it well ahead of time, contact Lighthouse Lab Services to learn more about our inspection preparation offerings.