reports and press releases
Report presented on July 1st, 2008
The future of Médical Biology in France
Bull. Acad. Natle Méd, 2008, Tome 192, Juin-Juillet, No 6, p. 1261:1276
The future of Médical Biology in France
SUMMARY
The practice of the Medical Biology (laboratory medicine) will be significantly modified as a request of the Ministry of Health. Beyond the current health economics trend searching for cost efficiency, the European Commission’s requirements worry the ‘‘ Medical Biologists ’’ and threaten the basis of the medical practice in our country. After an analysis of the current status of the Biologist’s education and practice, the National Academies of Medicine and Pharmacy reminded the strengths of the Medical Biology in France, which are widely recognized in Europe.
Based on this analysis, the National Academies of Medicine and Pharmacy present the following recommendations :
I- Biologist’s Training :
— To increase the numerus clausus in Medicine and Pharmacy, as well as the total number of post-graduate education positions in Medical Biology seeking to restore the equilibrium between doctors and pharmacists ;
— To review the organization and the cursus of the post-graduate training in Medical Biology ; — To organize as soon as possible the obligatory continuous education for Biologists.
II- Current status of the Medical Biologist : The Biologists’ professional independence must be ensured. From the economic and technical points of view, the merging of laboratories is desirable, but the creation of companies where capital and voting rights are hold by non-Biologists must be avoided ;
III- The practice of the Medical Biology :
— To reassert the necessity for the Biologist of being responsible, in the patient’s interest, for the three inseparable phases of the Medical Biology practice (pre analytical, analytical, post-analytical) ;
— To keep in all the merged laboratories a ‘‘ nearby biology activity ’’ intended to mainly support emergencies ;
— To narrow the link between hospital and alternate care structures.
IV- _Quality Assurance : To keep progressively going towards the accreditations process by the creation of a professional quality frame.
V- — Development of Basic and Applied Research, in collaboration with clinicians : The adoption of new tests must be financed, as often as possible, by the withdrawal of outdated tests.
VI- Medical Biologists’ actions in Public Health :
— Screening campaigns, prevention and treatment activities, etc... must include Biologists as part of multi-disciplinary teams.
The Ministry of Health is actually carrying out the reform of the Medical Biology.
The National Academies of Medicine and Pharmacy would hike to get their advices requested, regarding the legal texts current being written.
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