Proficiency Testing Program
The Proficiency Testing program is the use of inter-laboratory comparison for determining the performance of individual laboratories for specific tests. The participation in proficiency testing program provides laboratories with an objective means of assessing and demonstrating the reliability of data being generated by the lab. The primary objective of proficiency testing is to provide the laboratories with an information and support to demonstrate and improve the quality of their analytical measurement. However, to produce the authenticated test data, it is required to maintain management system as per ISO/IEC 17025 requirements. The testing laboratories use this standard in the development and implementation of their Quality System and Accreditation bodies use this standard to assess the testing laboratories for considering of accreditation.
NDTL is the first ever accredited PT provider in the field of analytical drug testing in the country. There was no proficiency testing programme in India in the field of Forensic Chemistry/Analytical/Drug testing till 2011. Hence, NDTL took initiative to start proficiency testing scheme (NDTL-PT scheme) in the above said fields in 2012 to facilitate participation of Analytical/Drug testing / Forensic laboratories in India and neighboring countries. NDTL has successfully completed seven rounds. NDTL has acquired ISO/IEC: 17043:2010 accreditation by NABL in the month of December 2014.
The details of the NDTL-PT proficiency testing programme are as follows:
1. | Name of Analytical Drug | As per Scope |
2. | Target concentration for identification | Approx 200 µg/ml (for quantitative analysis) |
3. | Frequency of the programme | Twice in a Year April & October (two sample per round) |
4. | Participants targeted | Forensic laboratories (chemistry & narcotics)
Analytical drug testing laboratories Pharmaceutical QC laboratories |
For participation in NDTLPT scheme request should be made to the PT coordinator. The samples shall be sent to the participant after receipt of consent from the participant.
The PT program participation fee would be Rs. 10,000/- per PT round. A laboratory keen to participant in our program are also requested to send their scope of testing in order to improve and accommodate more analyte in the PT scheme.