One state's approach to the regulation of cholesterol screening.

In 1989 Maryland became the first State to enact legislation, separate from existing laboratory law, authorizing a comprehensive, self-supporting program to regulate cholesterol screening conducted outside of laboratories and physicians' offices. This program requires a State permit to conduct cholesterol screening and oversees regulations that define minimum standards of quality assurance in such areas as personnel training, analytical quality control, counseling, and patient referral. This paper is a review of some of the political and technical problems that Maryland faced and solved in developing and implementing an effective regulatory program.