DOH ORDERS PROFICIENCY TESTS FOR PERSONNEL OF DRUG CENTERS

Personnel of drug-testing centers, under the supervision of the Department
of Health (DOH), will now be required to undergo proficiency tests to check
their competence.

Lawyer Nick Lutero, director of DOH's Bureau of Health Facilities and
Services, said the requirement is one of the "substantial changes" that the
department is putting in place in the government's reinvigorated
drug-testing program.

"We want to ensure that the laboratory staff are fit for the job. The
proficiency tests will check on their competence," he said.

The DOH will take over the supervision of the drug-testing centers from the
Dangerous Drugs Board and the Land Transportation Office anytime this month
by virtue of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 or the Republic
Act 7165.

To ensure quality drug testing, the DOH came up with new accreditation
standards that drug screening laboratories must need or face closure.

From January to March, the DOH had inspected 1,053 drug-testing clinics and
found out that 90 percent of them were not complying with the earlier
standards, particularly on keeping manual of operations.

According to Lutero, the DOH also wanted all clinics to be headed by
physicians "who have knowledge of laboratory management." At present, even
pharmacists, chemists or chemical engineers are allowed to head these
facilities.

Lutero added that such move will help professionalize drug testing in the
country.

The other requirement that the DOH wants to impose is for all clinics to
have their "manuals of operations" that will guide laboratory personnel on
how they should examine specimens.

During the inspections, the DOH found out that majority of the laboratories
did not have their own manuals, putting in question how they were running
the clinics.

"We'll do our best to ensure the credibility and quality of drug testing. We
have been talking with the concerned people about the standards and we want
this program to go on smoothly," Lutero said.