Cytopathology: new legislative, regulatory, and proficiency testing requirements.

In 1988, a combination of efforts by the press, the Maryland General Assembly, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), and an advisory panel of pathologists and cytotechnologists led to broader and stricter regulation of cytopathology laboratories in Maryland. A new law called for standards covering the maximum number of slides a cytotechnologist may examine, unsatisfactory specimens, slide and records retention, a limitation on the use of out-of-state laboratories by Maryland physicians, and a mandatory, state-run proficiency testing program. Maryland's proficiency testing program is modeled on that of New York State but incorporates improvements in diagnostic definitions, testing mechanisms, and retraining requirements.