Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Program for the Accreditation of Laboratories (PALCAN) at the Standards Council of Canada (SCC):
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Q: What is involved in the laboratory accreditation process?
A: The laboratory accreditation process involves assessing the quality management system (QMS) and technical competence of laboratories in accordance with the requirements of CAN-P-4E (ISO/IEC 17025). Before becoming accredited, laboratories are assessed, test procedures are witnessed and reviewed, and the QMS and technical records are evaluated. A full reassessment of the laboratory is conducted one year after accreditation is granted and every two years thereafter. Medical laboratories are required to conduct regular self-assessments and are subject to formal reassessments only every 5 years with surveillance in-between.
In addition to the generally applicable policies and procedures that laboratories must meet to become accredited, where a laboratory has chosen to become accredited to a specific Program Specialty Area (PSA) the requirements of that PSA's policies and procedures must also be met.
