Florida Administrative Code › 64 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › 64B3 - Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel › Chapter 64B3-10 - SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR CLINICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL › Section 64B3-10.005 - Scope of Practice Relative to Specialty of Licensure

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
The following rules are not intended to prevent collection
				  and storage of specimens or the performance of manual pretesting procedures by
				  persons who are exempt by statute or statutorily authorized within their scope
				  of practice. Clinical laboratory personnel qualified as a physician director, a
				  licensed director, supervisor, technologist or technician in the specialty or
				  specialties indicated can perform testing identified as being within the
				  specialty. Tests which are not yet classified shall be assigned by the Board
				  upon review.
(1) The scope of practice
				for licensed clinical laboratory personnel includes specimen collecting,
				processing, storing, shipping and performing manual pretesting
				procedures.
(2) The scope of
				practice for licensed clinical laboratory technicians, technologists,
				supervisors and directors includes interpretation of clinical laboratory test
				results.
(3) The purpose of the
				specialty of microbiology is to provide diagnostic testing for and optimum
				management of infectious disease in patients and to prevent the spread of
				infection to other individuals. Testing shall include procedures performed to
				culture, isolate, identify and determine the susceptibility of microbes.
				Testing also encompasses direct examination and microbial antigen detection
				methods. The term microbes includes bacteria, fungi, mycobacteria, viruses,
				rickettsia, parasites and emerging, unclassified infectious agents. Directors,
				supervisors, technologists, and technicians licensed in the specialty may
				provide consultation in the areas of infection control and epidemiology and
				administer intra-dermal skin tests and vaccines. Testing in this specialty also
				encompasses all laboratory procedures performed in the areas of infectious
				disease serology/immunology.
(4)
				The purpose of the specialty of serology/immunology is to detect and quantitate
				antibodies, to infectious agents as well as antigens. The specialty encompasses
				all the serological techniques (except those specific to immunohematology) used
				to detect the interaction of antigens with antibodies for evaluation of the
				consequences of the immune response. For those licensed in this specialty prior
				to February 11, 2022, the specialty also encompasses all laboratory procedures
				performed in the specialty of histocompatibility as defined in subsection
				(14).
(5) The purpose of the
				specialty of hematology is to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate cells
				in peripheral blood and bone marrow, their production, maturation and release;
				their morphology, chemistry and function; and diagnostic testing for optimum
				management of primary and secondary hematological disorders. Testing in this
				specialty also encompasses all the routine and special procedures, including
				flow cytometry performed to evaluate the numbers, morphology and function of
				cells in body fluids including urine and the evaluation of hemostasis and
				thrombosis and the management of anticoagulant therapy.
(6) The purpose of the specialty of
				immunohematology is to insure the best possible outcomes of blood or blood
				components by the accurate performance of all pre-transfusion testing; to
				prevent transfusion transmitted infections; and to investigate and evaluate
				post-transfusion reactions.
(7) The
				purpose of the specialty of clinical chemistry is to perform qualitative and
				quantitative analyses on blood and body fluids and other materials to measure
				the chemical analytes; including blood gas analyses.
(8) The purpose of the specialty of blood
				donor testing is to perform all testing that pertains strictly to the
				processing of donor blood and blood products.
(9) All those licensed in blood gas analysis
				prior to February 11, 2022, shall be issued a limited license in Clinical
				Chemistry for blood gas analysis only.
(10) The purpose of the specialty of
				histology is to process cellular and tissue components through methods of
				fixation, dehydration, embedding, microtomy, frozen sectioning, staining, and
				other related procedures and techniques employed in the preparation of smears,
				slides, and tissues. This specialty also encompasses methods for antigen
				detection and other molecular hybridization testing methods where the purpose
				is analysis and/or quantification of cellular and tissue components for
				interpretation by a qualified physician. Technicians licensed in histology are
				limited to the performance of specimen processing, embedding, cutting, routine
				and special histologic staining, frozen sectioning and mounting of preparations
				under the general supervision of a director, supervisor, or
				technologist.
(11) The purpose of
				the specialty of cytology is to process and interpret cellular material derived
				from the human body delineating data regarding human cytopathological disease.
				Cytology includes:
(a) Review and
				interpretation of gynecological cytology preparations in accordance with the
				provisions of paragraph
				64B3-13.003(2)(j),
				F.A.C.;
(b) Screening of
				non-gynecological cytology preparations where final review and interpretation
				is the responsibility of a qualified physician; and,
(c) Process, perform, review and correlate
				diagnostic techniques ancillary to liquid based cytology.