2005 Rhode Island Code - § 23-16.3-2 — Declaration of policy and statement of purpose.

    It is declared to be a policy of the state that the practice of clinical laboratory science by health care professionals affects the public health, safety, and welfare and is subject to control and regulation in the public interest. It is further declared that clinical laboratories and clinical laboratory science practitioners provide essential services to practitioners of the healing arts by furnishing vital information which may be used in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease or impairment and the assessment of the health of humans. The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the better protection of public health by providing minimum qualifications for clinical laboratory science practitioners, and by ensuring that clinical laboratory tests are performed with the highest degree of professional competency by those engaged in providing clinical laboratory science services in the state.