MADISON, N.J. and GURGAON, India, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Quest Diagnostics Incorporated , the world’s leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced that its wholly- owned subsidiary Quest Diagnostics India Pvt. Ltd. has received certificates of accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP), a leading international laboratory accrediting organization, and the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), the sole government-authorized laboratory accreditation body in India, for its diagnostic and clinical trials laboratory in Gurgaon, India. Accreditation by CAP and NABL is widely regarded in the international diagnostic industry as signifying that a laboratory performs diagnostic testing at the highest quality standards.
In addition, the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) has awarded Level I Laboratory Certification to the Quest Diagnostics’ laboratory in Gurgaon. Level I Laboratory Certification, which is recommended by NGSP for laboratories conducting diabetes-related clinical trials, indicates that a facility’s testing fulfills NGSP’s rigorous standards for delivering accurate hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) testing for diabetes. The Quest Diagnostics lab is one of only five laboratories in India to be certified by the international program. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in India is expected to grow more rapidly than in any developed or developing nation, climbing from 28 million patients in 2007 to more than 60 million by 2017.
“Accreditation by both CAP and NABL is a major accomplishment because it indicates to physicians, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and patients that all major areas of a laboratory’s operations exhibit the highest level of quality assurance,” said Palat Krishna Menon, M.D., Ph.D., medical director for Quest Diagnostics India Pvt. Ltd. “Level 1 certification by NGSP is also an important achievement because it means that physicians and pharmaceutical companies can trust that our HbA1c testing results in India correlate to the most rigorous global standards and provide the basis for making reliable treatment decisions for patients with diabetes.”
The accreditation programs of CAP and NABL are designed to promote laboratory excellence by certifying only those laboratories that fulfill rigorous criteria for quality assurance. Both accrediting organizations conduct onsite audits to evaluate quality processes and other facets of a lab’s operations, and only accredit those labs that demonstrate the highest quality standards. CAP and NABL investigators accredited the Quest Diagnostics’ facility in Gurgaon approximately two months after performing separate onsite audits in September 2008. More than 100,000 diagnostic laboratories operate in India according to estimates, but only approximately a dozen are NABL and CAP accredited.
Quest Diagnostics began operating its 65,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art laboratory in Gurgaon, a satellite city of Delhi, in March 2008. The business offers the broadest range of diagnostic and wellness testing services in the industry, including esoteric testing, clinical trials central lab and support services, and risk assessment services to life insurance companies under the ExamOne(R) brand.
About CAP
The College of American Pathologists (CAP) is a medical society serving more than 17,000 physician members and the laboratory community throughout the world. It is the world’s largest association composed exclusively of pathologists and is widely considered the leader in laboratory quality assurance. The CAP is an advocate for high-quality and cost-effective medical care. For more information, visit www.cap.org.
About NABL
NABL is an autonomous body under the government of India’s department of science and technology. It was established to promote competence of testing and calibration laboratories through third-party accreditation. NABL assesses medical laboratories against the International Organization of Standardization (ISO)'s 15189 standard for medical laboratories. NABL has signed mutual recognition agreements with Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (APLAC) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (ILAC). For more information, visit www.nabl-india.org.
About NGSP
The National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) aims to establish standards for HbA1c clinical laboratory testing across the diagnostic industry. The NGSP was formed in 1996 after the seminal Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) demonstrated that HbA1c levels correlate with a patient’s risk of developing diabetes disease complications, such as heart disease. The International Diabetes Federation and American Diabetes Association recommend treatment goals for patients with diabetes largely on HbA1c levels. For more information, visit www.ngsp.org.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics is the world’s leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services that patients and doctors need to make better healthcare decisions. The company offers the broadest access to diagnostic testing services through its network of laboratories and patient service centers, and provides interpretive consultation through its extensive medical and scientific staff. Quest Diagnostics is a pioneer in developing innovative new diagnostic tests and advanced healthcare information technology solutions that help improve patient care. Additional company information is available at www.questdiagnostics.com.
CONTACT: Laure Park (Investors): +1-973-520-2900, or Wendy Bost (Media):
+1-973-520-2800, both for Quest Diagnostics
Web site: http://www.questdiagnostics.com/
http://www.ngsp.org/
http://www.nabl-india.org/
http://www.cap.org/
