The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) has just published the 21st edition of the Guide to the preparation, use and quality assurance of blood components (Blood Guide).
The Blood Guide is a compendium of widely accepted, harmonised European technical standards providing safety, efficacy and quality requirements for the preparation, use and quality control of blood components in Europe and beyond. It is intended for all professionals working with blood and blood components – from donation, collection and testing to processing, storage, distribution and transfusion – for blood establishments, hospital blood banks and healthcare and regulatory professionals in the blood sector. It gives them a comprehensive overview of the most recent advances in the blood field, together with guidance concerning blood donation and collection. The Blood Guide also includes the Good Practice Guidelines (GPGs) which provide standards for the implementation of quality systems in blood establishments and, where applicable, hospital blood banks. Under European Commission Directive (EU) 2016/1214, the GPGs should be taken into account by EU member states in the implementation of quality systems in their blood establishments.
For more information, read the press release “EDQM publishes 21st edition of the Blood Guide, providing state-of-the-art guidance for healthcare professionals”.
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