Facility capability assessment.

An inspection and evaluation procedure has been developed to assess the capabilities of contract toxicology laboratories. This procedure has been used for the inspection of 18 different contract toxicology laboratories. There are 10 areas inspected: 1. Facility 2. Personnel 3. Operations 4. Animals/Animal Care 5. Standard Operating Procedures 6. Quality Assurance 7. Equipment 8. Test Article 9. Data 10. Archives. Each of these areas is divided into categories with each category divided further into specific topics. Points are assigned to each topic. The points earned by the laboratory reflect the inspector's assessment of the laboratory's quality in each area. Area scores are added and a percentage score for the facility is calculated. This approach provides a clear distinction among the laboratories evaluated. The facility inspection and rating system played an important role in screening laboratories when the author worked for the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) corporate toxicology department. It highlighted strengths and weaknesses of individual laboratories.