Does the CMLTO suggest that medical laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians are not practising in a safe manner?
Medical laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians affect patient care as an integral part of the health care team in the clinical laboratory. In many cases, medical laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians are the primary source of contact between the laboratory and patients, as they perform phlebotomy and many of the pre-analytical functions for the laboratory. Published research reports suggest a high proportion of medical errors occur during the pre-analytical phase of medical laboratory testing. The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO) recognizes that other factors, external to the participation of medical laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians in the pre-analytical phase of laboratory testing, may contribute to these results. However, it is clear that medical laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians have a very important role in this process. Based on feedback received from medical laborator
