Veterinary Laboratory Accreditation Program

---

The Veterinary Laboratory Accreditation Program (VLAP) is a program developed by the Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AVLD) to accredit veterinary laboratories that perform diagnostic testing on animal samples. The VLAP is designed to ensure that veterinary laboratories have the necessary expertise and resources to accurately and reliably test animal samples.

To become an accredited laboratory under the VLAP, a laboratory must demonstrate that it has the necessary personnel, equipment, and procedures in place to perform diagnostic testing on animal samples. This may include demonstrating expertise in specific areas of veterinary laboratory diagnostics, having a robust quality management system in place, and having the necessary equipment and personnel to perform testing and evaluations.

Accredited laboratories under the VLAP are required to undergo regular evaluations to ensure that they continue to meet the necessary standards and are able to accurately and reliably test animal samples. This helps to ensure that the results of veterinary diagnostic testing are reliable and accurate, which is important for both veterinarians and animal owners.

As part of the approval process for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), veterinary surveillance and testing laboratories, we have prepared our application to accept our accreditation under the Veterinary Laboratory Accreditation Program.

This program allows the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to collaborate with animal health partners throughout the nation to implement high-value projects that enhance prevention, preparedness, detection, and response to the most damaging emerging and foreign animal diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture.

Our Veterinary Laboratory Accreditation Program requires the applicant CAB to adhere to the requirements applicable in General Requirements for Accreditation of ISO/IEC 17025 Laboratories.

The goal of our Veterinary Laboratory Accreditation Program is to promote the health of both privately- and commercially-owned animals through the accreditation of veterinary and animal diagnostic testing laboratories.

This program was developed to evaluate diagnostic and clinical veterinary laboratories that conduct commercial, government, academic, and international veterinary testing in areas including but not limited to:

• Infectious disease diagnostics
• Disease surveillance
• Virology
• Pathology
• Microbiology
• Immunology

The program also covers screening for growth promoters and drug/chemical residue in the following domains:

• Antibiotics
• Antihelmethetics
• Pesticides
• Metals
• Organics
• DNA/RNA
• GMO

Program Requirements

• ISO/IEC 17025 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories
• Optional Requirements NAHLN Veterinary Diagnostic Accreditation Program
• NAHLN Quality Standard Harmonization of AAVLD and ISO 17025:2017