The Committee recognized that national drug control laboratories, especially in developing countries, need assistance in carrying out external assessment of analytical results. Offers of assistance from well-established laboratories were welcomed and it was agreed that the experience gained by the European Official Control Laboratories and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Section for Official Laboratories and Medical Control Services would provide a useful basis for establishing a proficiency testing service.

It was agreed that such an external quality assessment should be seen as occurring in conjunction with any ongoing internal quality assurance projects, and that the methodologies assessed should include all those used for the detection of counterfeit, spurious or substandard pharmaceuticals.