ABSTRACT
Every well-managed laboratory has a comprehensive internal quality assurance program. This chapter describes the rudiments of formal internal quality assurance programs. This is because formal programs will be impacted most by an external national quality assurance program. It is important to realize that large-scale accreditation and certification programs cannot consider every type of methodology that is performed in each laboratory. Therefore, the research and development type quality assurance program is usually only assessed internally and by conscientious purchasers of data. A formal internal quality assurance program evaluates all critical elements for the Contract Laboratory Program. Internal quality assurance currently is important in laboratory operations. It can identify problems with data so that defective data are not supplied to clients, therefore increasing the credibility of the laboratory with its customer base. An additional reason for a good internal quality assurance system is to provide information to clients about performance on testing if a problem occurs in the laboratory.
