title: The practice of clinical chemistry in the European Union.
abstract: The European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry has been actively engaged in raising the level of clinical chemistry in the European Union. Closer contacts between the national societies for clinical chemistry have resulted in more comparable programs for postgraduate training of clinical chemists, closer similarity of contents and practice of the profession in the different countries, and the official registration of professionals. This article reviews some of the characteristics of professional organisation, practice, and regulation in the fifteen European Union countries. Many similarities appear. In half of the countries microbiology, blood-banking and transfusion medicine fall within the domain of clinical chemistry. The minimum number of years for training (university and postgraduate) is eight, but in practice this will extend to 10 or more years. Official regulation of the profession by law exists in a minority of countries. Continuing education and re-registration have not been officially instituted yet in any country, but these issues will be the next steps forward. In those countries that prepare themselves for entering the European Union, training and practice of clinical chemistry are moving towards the common standards of the European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. g.t.sanders@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Gerard T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Graham H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Beastall
authors.forename: Klaus P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Kohse
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zérah
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Köller
authors.forename: Vic
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Blaton
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parviainen
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Charret
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gurr
authors.forename: Hara
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nicholou
authors.forename: Desmond
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kenny
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pazzagli
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Opp
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Willems
authors.forename: Maria do Carmo
authors.initials: Mdo C
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Queraltó
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Landin
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McMurray
mesh_terms: D002624:Chemistry, Clinical; D005062:European Union