Institutionalization of Quality Management Systems in the Central Registry of the Central Drug Control Laboratory, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, Nigeria

Abstract

Quality management systems (QMS) are becoming a global paradigm especially in testing laboratories. A critical component of QMS in testing laboratories is the proper handling of incoming samples to ensure that the integrity of such samples are not compromised in any way before the commencement of testing and assure the validity of the results received from testing units. The sample reception unit in the Central Registry of the Central Drug Control Laboratory (CDCL) of the National Agency of Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria, did not have a QMS in place. The methodology for instituting QMS involved reorganization of the unit, development of all working documents, training and retraining of all staff/team members, implementation of the new system and then conducting continuous monitoring and evaluation using predefined key performance indicators. The results clearly show that the implementation of a QMS in the Sample Reception unit of the Central Registry of the Central Drug Control Laboratory has greatly improved the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the unit. It has ensured that the integrity of incoming samples is not compromised before testing by the analytical units. This has led to increased trust and reliability of the test results and analytical reports produced by the Central Drug Control Laboratory of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control of Nigeria.