Exam Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.

When you apply for a license at any level, you must indicate one or more specialties. Each specialty has slightly different requirements, including which exams you can use to qualify for licensure. You can later add more specialties to your license by taking the appropriate exam. The following is a partial list of specialties available to clinical laboratory personnel: MicrobiologySerology / ImmunologyChemistry HematologyImmunohematologyRadioassay HistocompatibilityBlood BankingBlood Gas AnalysisCytologyCytogenetics HistologyMolecular PathologyAndrologyEmbryology

The accuracy and safety of patient testing depends on the capability and honesty of clinical laboratory personnel. If an individual's ability to perform testing is influenced by illness, injury, drug use (legal and illegal), or alcohol use, he or she may no longer practice. The Board can order a doctor's exam to determine if illness, injury, drugs, or alcohol is a factor. The individual can get his / her license back after recovery and proving that the condition is no longer a problem. If an individual commits a crime in any state relating to matters of honesty (such as filing false reports or advertising false services), that individual's Florida license may be suspended. Other licensed personnel who know that an individual is practicing despite being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, is physically or mentally incapable, has been convicted of a lab-related crime, or is not competent to perform his / her duties are required to report the individual to the Board. The following are violations of Board rules:Continuing to practice after becoming unable to safely perform testing because of illness or use of alcohol or drugs, or another mental or physical condition. Continuing to practice after being judged mentally or physically incapable.Being convicted of any crime relating to activities of clinical laboratory science or involving dishonesty or lack of morals. Failing to report to the Board that one has been convicted of a crime (as listed above), been judged mentally or physically incapable, or had a licensed revoked in another state. Knowingly allow an unqualified person to perform clinical laboratory duties.

Billing: Highest risk activity a laboratory has. All laboratory activities contribute to the billing process. Many of the risk areas included in this program are components of the billing function. Medical necessity: Medicare is only allowed, by law, to pay for tests that are reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Medical necessity is an underlying principle of the Medicare program. Tests performed for screening or routine exams are not considered medically necessary by the Medicare program.

This questionnaire is reviewed by a licensed physician and may require a medical follow-up exam.Both the questionnaire and exam are given at no cost to you and remain confidential.

Can all drugs benefit from TDM? Not really. For TDM to be effective and useful, one or more of the following should apply: The effective concentration and toxic concentrations must be well-defined. The pharmacokinetics of the drug are known to be variable. The drug is given chronically. There is the potential for drug-to-drug interactions. The drug exhibits high protein binding. The toxicity will mimic the indication for the drug; toxicity may not be visible during an exam but will only be revealed with TDM. The patient is pregnant, very young, or elderly. Compliance or history with the drug is poor.

The urine microscopic exam is performed on a centrifuged urine sediment. The sediment contains all the formed elements or insoluble materials that have accumulated in the urine through its passage from the kidney to the lower urinary tract. These formed elements include cells, casts, crystals and miscellaneous structures.

Examination of a fresh urine specimen provides the best results. If a specimen cannot be examined immediately, it may be refrigerated for up to 12 hours. Refrigeration prevents decomposition of casts, cells and the overgrowth of bacteria. The urine sediment elements begin to lyse after 1-3 hours at room temperature. Although the most commonly received urine specimen is the random urine collection, the specimen of choice for urinalysis is the first morning urine. The first morning urine is more concentrated and allows for the detection of substances which may not be present in a more dilute random sample. Once the physical and chemical characteristics of the urine have been determined, the microscopic exam is performed on the sediment.