SRL Ranbaxy Laboratories has received the prestigious College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation. SRL Ranbaxy was the first laboratory in India to invite the CAP team to inspect its facility, as part of its efforts to constantly upgrade its standards and follow the stringent guidelines of good laboratory practices (GLP).
The CAP is a forty one year old independent body and is today considered to be the ultimate world gold standard in clinical laboratories testing. It has accredited over 6000 labs in the United States alone and has also accredited laboratories in twenty-five other countries. India becomes the 26th country, which is part of this gold standard fraternity. The CAP is a non-profit making organization and apart from the government, the only authority that can conduct audits, after a change in the law under CLIA.
The CAP spokesperson, Selwyn J. Baptist had commended SRL Ranbaxy on taking the initiative of being the first laboratory to volunteer for an accreditation from the CAP in an era where most organizations were just too uncomfortable about someone else evaluating them. SRL Ranbaxy had clearly made an impression, as comprehensive checklists and proficiencies had already provided the CAP team with an overview of the high standards maintained by the laboratory. These standards had enabled the team to assess the facility more as fact finders and peers in the similar field, rather than auditors.
The audit at SRL Ranbaxy was a challenge for the team vis a vis other laboratories, in terms of allotting a deadline to the evaluation process as the facility had the maximum number of sections to be audited. The magnitude on which the audit was conducted explained the intricacies and precision involved in laboratory practice and procedures at SRL Ranbaxy.
The CAP had broadly looked at four areas while evaluating the laboratory, qualifications of the director, quality control of various tests, safety of lab workers and the continuous participation of the lab with the CAP constantly testing and upgrading their facility. All these had complied with the defined quality standards and have now established SRL Ranbaxy as a facility with a scope that supercedes even the international laboratory testing facilities.
According to Vidur Kaushik, Chief Executive Officer, SRL, "Acquiring the CAP stamp is a matter of great pride, as it shows our commitment to world class gold standards. For us the audit was more about improvement as this kind of validation provides greater confidence in the quality of services we provide. The four major requirements entail answering 3200 questions that are extensive in content and format. The timing and the sequence of this accreditation confirm the extensive spectrum of the facility in terms of its scope and outreach that has surpassed not only national but also international standards. The CAP has given us this accreditation only after verifying every single aspect of our facility. Most pathology laboratories go completely unchecked because all they need is to be registered under the shops act, equating a pathology laboratory with a shop".
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sumedha Sahni, Director-Operations, SRL, said, It is our constant endeavor to provide world class clinical laboratory tests of the highest quality and the latest state-of-the-art technologies. She further added, "We at SRL conduct and participate in continuous quality assurance programs (both internal and external) to ensure quality standards right from specimen collection (handling & storage), qualified staff, levels of training, equipment and technology and accurate reports."
All diagnostics protocols of SRL Ranbaxy are conducted under Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices guidelines. Apart from the Quality Control programs, SRL also participates in proficiency surveys conducted by College of American Pathologists, Randox International and CMC Vellore to ensure the international standards of accuracy are maintained.