The new version of the standard ISO/IEC 17043:2023 Conformity assessment – General requirements for proficiency testing, has now been published (9th May 2023). The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) has agreed that there shall be a three-year transition period; by the end of this period providers accredited to ISO/IEC 17043:2010 worldwide must have been assessed and accredited to ISO/IEC 17043:2023.
Here are some of the major updates to the standard:
- Changes to the requirements for PT reports, e.g., to include MU.
- Requirements for a Quality Manager and deputies removed.
- More detail on methods/equipment being 'appropriately validated and maintained'.
- Changes to management system requirements in line with ISO 15189:2022 / ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Much less prescriptive.
- Much more description on requirements for impartiality.
- No requirement for Quality Policy/Manual.
- Subcontractors and purchasing services and supplies both replaced by external service providers.
- Complaints and appeals separated, different definitions. More description of requirements for handling appeals.
- Any testing requirements 'shall be conducted in accordance with the relevant requirements of ISO/IEC 17025' for measurement/testing of PT items, inc. homogeneity and stability testing.
- Option for ISO 9001 certified management system.