13/05/2026
Quality decisions depend on more than instruments. Eurachem spotlights how pre- and post-analytical PT/EQA assess the full pathway—from sampling to interpretation—to drive quality and harmonisation. ISO 15189 stresses EQA should check the entire process, including pre- and post-examination.
• 🔍 Why it matters: reveals variation in sample prep, gaps vs guidelines, and inconsistent interpretation that routine PT can miss
• 🧪 Clinical chemistry: combine patient context + results; expert groups rank interpretative advice and share feedback
• 🧫 Microbiology (food poisoning): choose target organism(s), justify methods, report results, and decide on information dissemination
• 🧸 Toy safety: assess a sourced toy against EN 71; select clauses, tests, and labelling; compare with model answers
• 💧 Drinking water: evaluate near‑limit samples per Directive 98/83/EC; report results, uncertainty, and pass/fail; insights can inform regulators
• 🚀 Get started: find schemes via national accreditation bodies or EPTIS
Discover how pre- and post-analytical PT/EQA schemes improve the quality, harmonisation, and reliability of routine laboratory analyses.