Good Laboratory Practices
Good laboratory practices do not deal with clinical elements, meaning, these are not for treatment of humans, rather, purely for research purposes and testing. As such, the data that will be generated from these laboratories will have very far-reaching effects. Documentation that is provided from such sources needs to be of the highest quality possible. As such, the following principles need to be applied consistently.
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Procedures need to be set and implemented.
Great laboratory results only come from following a well thought out routine that is set in place. A laboratory functions on routine. If all the staff has been properly trained on the procedures, then all else will fall into place.
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Proficiency
Proficiency of personnel isn’t maintained by their test scores on Academic tests, but on the training that they receive in their apprenticeship. The sustained capability of a lab technician cannot be guaranteed only by the education and training that they received, but by periodically analyzing their proficiency. This will maintain high proficiency in their work.
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Assign equipment and instruments to their respective analyst
Laboratory tools are sensitive to use. To keep these working in optimum condition, have as few people touching the equipment as possible. By assigning users, there will be a minimizing of use, including calibration and thus accuracy of results.
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Instrument Calibration
Accuracy of data can only be from well-calibrated lab tools. Test whether the instrument is working optimally before performing any tests on it. Well trained analysts know what to look for when calibrating a lab instrument or one that needs repairing.
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Run multiple copies
Having duplicate tests can be a lifesaver in the lab. Good laboratory practices ensure accuracy, and this is achieved to a great degree by having duplicates or triplicate runs of the same test. This gives the analyst confidence, that the tests they ran are indeed accurate.
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Use of control Charts
Control charts are an integral part of good laboratory practices, as they give validity to the results. These must be a constant feature in all lab tests that are conducted within the facility.
