Rockville, Md., January 24, 2005 — The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) recently announce that it has successfully received accreditation to the prestigious International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17025 standard for compliance in science laboratories. USP’s ISO 17025 accreditation applies to the Research and Development Laboratory (RDL) and the Reference Standards Laboratory (RSL).
The ISO 17025 accreditation is an international standard that examines the overall technical competency of laboratories. Covering every aspect of laboratory management from sample preparation and analytical testing proficiency to reports and record keeping, the ISO 17025 accreditation process is a rigorous one. Meeting the standard’s meticulous demands demonstrates the quality of USP laboratories and their commitment to making sure their facilities meet all standards, including international ones.
“ISO 17025 accreditation is an important achievement for USP because it delivers an important message about the quality of our laboratory calibration and testing,” said Roger L. Williams, M.D., executive vice president and chief executive officer at USP. According to Assured Calibration and Laboratory Accreditation Select Services (ACLASS), incorporating ISO 17025 will incessantly challenge a laboratory’s system to continuously improve quality and the technical competency of its labs and personnel.
“USP continually strives for world-class standards,” said Keith Conerly, director of quality assurance at USP. “Our participation in the ISO 17025 accreditation process reinforces our commitment not only to implementing international standards but also to managing the best laboratories possible.”
USP received ISO 9001:2000 certification for Quality Management Systems in April 2004. This quality system certification has been vigorously maintained since then, and ISO 17025 accreditation continues USP’s focus on quality.
ISO, the world’s largest developer of quality and environmental standards for business, government, and society, is an international network for the national standards institutes of 148 countries and is coordinated by the Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.
