The Quality Assurance Outfit of the Centre develops, implements and maintains a Quality Management System in accordance with the requirements of the International Standard-ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and WHO-GPPQCL(Good Practices for Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratory).
The Management System is implemented and maintained as specified in the various quality system documents. The system’s documentation, under the supervision of Quality Assurance section, is communicated to, understood by, available to, and implemented by the appropriate personnel. The Outfit ensures that the laboratory personnel are fully knowledgeable in the quality management system procedures through continual training and audit processes.

Management has put in place arrangements and procedures to ensure that the entire staff is free from any undue internal and external commercial, financial and other pressures and influences that may adversely affect the quality of their work thereby diminishing confidence in its competence, impartiality, judgment or operational integrity. Clients’ confidential information and proprietary rights are well protected.

The Centre’s Quality System Policies and Objectives are defined in a Quality Manual which is issued under the authority of the chief executive. It includes the following:

1. The laboratory management’s commitment to good professional practice and to the quality of its testing services to its clients;
2. The management’s statement of the laboratory’s standard of service;
3. The objectives of the quality system;
4. A requirement that all personnel concerned with testing activities within the laboratory familiarize themselves with the quality documentation and implement the policies and procedures in their work; and
5. The laboratory management’s commitment to comply with ISO/IEC 17025-2017 standard and GPPQCL requirements.

The Quality Policy of the Laboratory, as approved by the Chief Executive and prominently displayed on the premises, is as stated below:

“IT IS THE POLICY OF THE LABORATORY SERVICES OF THE FOOD AND DRUGS Authority TO MAINTAIN GOOD PROFESSIONAL LABORATORY PRACTICES MEETING INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS OF TESTING WITH THE HIGHEST ACHIEVABLE ACCURACY. PERSONNEL FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE POLICIES/PROCEDURES AND PROVIDE TRACEABLE, HIGH-QUALITY SERVICES TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE CUSTOMERS IN CONFORMITY WITH THE APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS OF ISO/IEC 17025:2017 INTERNATIONAL STANDARD AND WHO-GPPQCL.” Certificate and Scope of Laboratory Accreditation.Click here to view

THE CENTRE’S FACILITY
Laboratory facilities for testing including but not limited to energy sources, lighting and environmental conditions, are such as to facilitate correct performance of the testing services. The facility is an adjoining two-story block towards the south of the main Food and Drugs Authority Headquarters Office complex. The Drug Physicochemical Laboratory and Cosmetic Laboratories are located at the top floor, the first floor is occupied by Pharmaceutical and Food Microbiology Laboratories and the Medical Devices Laboratory is on the ground floor. The Food Physicochemical laboratory is an off-site laboratory building located at the renovated Laboratory facility adjacent to Movenpic Ambassador Hotel and within the premises of Malaria control programme offices.