Implementing Quality Systems in the Management of the Animal Care and Use Program

The laboratory animal science community is moving toward increasing the quality of their work. There are two main reasons for that: first, the objective of improving the care and use of the animals to ensure animal well-being; and second, the general trend by animal researchers toward enhancing the quality, reproducibility, and translatability of the research outcome. Therefore, animal care and use program managers are more and more involved, by personal and/or institutional commitment, in the implementation of quality practices in all animal program areas. In addition to internal quality measures, that may or may not be imposed by regulations, there are several external quality systems that can, and have been traditionally applied, to animal care and use programs. The practical aspects of the implementation of the three most common quality systems in the animal research environment (AAALAC International, GLP, and ISO) are described.