EQA / Proficiency Testing: External Quality Assessment
KombiMED GmbH is the official distributor of College of American Pathologists (CAP) PT/EQA programs for most countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus region. Clinical laboratories get access to 8 international EQA providers: CAP (23,000+ laboratories in 100+ countries), Randox RIQAS, Bio-Rad EQAS, INSTAND, UK NEQAS, Labquality, QCMD and NordiQC. KombiMED selects the programmes per discipline, handles ordering, customs and delivery of the samples, and supports the path to ISO 15189 and CAP accreditation, which outside the US and Canada requires at least 6 months of CAP proficiency testing.
College of American Pathologists (CAP)
The world’s largest external quality assessment program. More than 23,000 participating laboratories in 100+ countries. KombiMED provides full-cycle support: from registration to interpretation of results.
Every round is also a chance to learn: the CAP’s educational programs in surgical pathology, cytopathology and histotechnology carry CME credit for pathologists and CE credit for laboratory staff. How CAP EQA trains the team · EQA in histopathology
Your path to laboratory excellence
Laboratory accreditation is a process in which an independent body certifies that a laboratory meets defined quality standards, ensuring that its methods, equipment and personnel deliver accurate and reliable results. The CAP has shaped these standards since the 1960s.
PT / EQA requirement: laboratories outside the US and Canada must participate in a CAP Proficiency Testing / EQA program for at least 6 months before becoming eligible for CAP accreditation. This is exactly where KombiMED helps you begin.
Why do laboratories choose the CAP?
Laboratories choose the CAP for a number of reasons: depth, one standard across the globe, increased international business opportunities for specialized labs, eligibility for clinical-trial work under GCP / GCLP, and inspection by working laboratory peers rather than contractors.
Depth
The CAP accredits laboratory medicine disciplines and anatomic/molecular pathology only, across the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases.
One standard across the globe
No room for diverging interpretations and therefore full comparability with other top-quality labs around the globe.
International business opportunities
Specialized laboratories gain referral work, cross-border contracts and partners who need a quality credential they already know.
Clinical-trial eligibility
CAP accreditation makes a laboratory eligible for clinical-trial work under GCP / GCLP for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs.
Inspection by working peers
Trained, practicing laboratory professionals, not contractors, inspect your lab using checklists tailored to your test menu.
Annually updated checklists
Checklists are reviewed every year with input from 25+ scientific committees to reflect the latest techniques, standards and best practices.
Turn CAP accreditation into a clinical-trial business
Clinical trials demand the highest, internationally recognized quality standards. CAP accreditation positions your laboratory as a trusted, high-end partner for pharmaceutical sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs), opening a high-value, recurring revenue stream alongside your routine diagnostics.
- Partner with top pharmaceutical manufacturers and CROs
- Position your organization as a high-end laboratory
- Meet data-integrity and regulatory expectations (GCP / GCLP)
- Extend and diversify your business with recurring revenue
The accreditation process
Technical evaluation
Review of the laboratory’s quality management system and documentation.
On-site assessment
An on-site inspection verifies the quality and competence of methods, equipment and personnel.
Regular audits
Recurring audits ensure continued compliance and ongoing improvement throughout the accreditation cycle.
Assess your laboratory’s CAP readiness
An assessment questionnaire to evaluate a laboratory’s readiness for CAP (College of American Pathologists) accreditation. Extended from the source workbook with additional readiness questions and richer answer options across 7 topic sections.
Why KombiMED?
KombiMED combines official CAP distribution with a multi-provider approach: 8+ international EQA providers, consulting on programme selection, registration and training, help with interpreting the results, and a team of specialists in the region for fast, hands-on support. Laboratories order all their EQA schemes through one contract instead of one per provider.
Official CAP PT/EQA distributor
Direct access to CAP PT/EQA programs for laboratories in most countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus
Multi-provider approach
8+ international providers, combined optimally for your laboratory
End-to-end support
Consulting on program selection, registration, training and interpretation of results
Local support
A team of specialists in the region: fast response and hands-on help
How well do laboratories run internal QC?
EQA shows how your results compare with other laboratories; internal QC has to catch errors run by run. The 2025 Great Global QC Survey (Westgard QC, 1,280+ laboratories) shows how often that goes wrong:
out of control daily or several times a day
simply repeat a failed control
now use independent third-party controls
Survey of self-selected laboratories; Central Asia is not reported separately. Westgard QC, 2025
In depth in the EQC guide: internal QC rules and limits · EQA programmes by discipline · providers compared · evaluating EQA results · accreditation – CAP LAP and ISO norms · CAP accreditation
EQA / PT providers
International external quality assessment programs available through KombiMED
College of American Pathologists (CAP)
KombiMED is the official distributor of CAP PT/EQA programs for most countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus region
The world’s largest external quality assessment program. More than 23,000 laboratories in 100+ countries. The gold standard for accreditation and PT programs.
Randox RIQAS
Randox’s international external quality assessment program with more than 45,000 participants across 133 nations. A broad range of analytes with a convenient online portal.
Bio-Rad EQAS
Bio-Rad’s global external quality assessment system. Unity Real Time and EQAS programs for comprehensive control of laboratory testing.
INSTAND e.V.
German reference organization for external quality control. One of the oldest PT programs in Europe, highly valued for its rigor and scientific approach.
UK NEQAS
The United Kingdom’s national external quality assessment: more than 30 programs with high standards. Widely used in clinical microbiology.
Labquality
Finnish external quality assessment organization. Programs for Northern and Eastern Europe, known for their accuracy and ease of participation.
QCMD
International EQA organization for molecular diagnostics. Specializing in PCR, NGS and virology testing.
NordiQC
Scandinavian program for immunohistochemistry and histopathology. A leading global EQA provider for pathology laboratories.
EQA disciplines
Learn more about external quality assessment in each area of laboratory diagnostics
Presentation: External Quality Assessment
A detailed presentation on EQA programs in laboratory diagnostics. Access by email.
Connect your laboratory to EQA programs
Get in touch for a tailored selection of external quality assessment programs. We’ll help you choose the optimal combination of providers for your laboratory.