Currently, twelve (12) states have some form of personnel licensure or mandatory certification for clinical laboratory personnel. The great majority of states do not license laboratory scientists, but rely on the federal CLIA program to assure the quality of testing, including minimum personnel qualifications.
Currently, twelve (12) states have some form of personnel licensure or mandatory certification for clinical laboratory personnel. The great majority of States do not license lab techs, but rely on the federal CLIA program to assure the quality of testing, including minimum personnel qualifications.
Eleven (11) of the states that require licensure or certification of laboratory personnel recognize AMT’s examinations for Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and/or Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) for purposes of satisfying state qualifications. Those states are listed below, along with a citation to the pertinent licensing law or regulation (1):
(1) South Dakota does not license clinical laboratory personnel; however, the South Dakota Department of Human Services recognizes AMT certification at the MLS and MLT level for purposes of the State’s rural healthcare facility recruitment assistance programs. [So. Dak. Rules § 44:71:01:01(2).]
(2) The MLS (AMT) and MLT (AMT) examinations are approved in the State of California. With respect to the MLT (AMT) examination, it is important to note that the competencies covered on the assessment exceed the State of California’s lawful scope of practice for MLT.
The only “licensure state” that does not currently recognize AMT’s exams is New York, which has a policy of contracting with a single vendor to administer exams for professional licensing. However, New York accepts the MLS(AMT) for provisional licenses.