It is the position of the CSMLS that laboratories accredited by a third party organization demonstrate compliance with a benchmark for quality and high standards of competency.

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) believes that CSMLS national certification must be the entry-level qualification for Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLAs) in Canada; the CSMLS competency profiles equip Medical Laboratory Assistants with the required skills and knowledge to provide high quality medical laboratory services and to function as members of multi-disciplinary health care teams, thereby enhancing the quality of patient care for all Canadians.

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) believes that CSMLS national certification must be the entry-level qualification for Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) in Canada; the CSMLS competency profiles equip Medical Laboratory Technologists with the required skills and knowledge to provide high quality medical laboratory services and to function as members of multi-disciplinary health care teams, thereby enhancing the quality of patient care for all Canadians. 

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) believes in an environment of diversity where differences are valued and everyone is given equal opportunity to contribute and develop. Furthermore, the CSMLS provides inclusive services, regardless of age, gender, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or geographic location. The CSMLS’s position on human rights is in accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) believes that effective Human Resource (HR) planning must include all components of the health care system. In order to integrate career and life expectations, a successful plan must consider educational achievements, employment opportunities, labour commitments, industry standards, immigration demands, regulatory stipulations, societal influences, political climate, economic restrictions and patient outcomes.  This planning requires a collective and consolidated effort among governments (federal, provincial and territorial), health care employers and all health care professional groups as human resource systems in medical laboratories are complex and interconnected. 

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) is dedicated to ensuring that medical laboratory services are delivered in a safe and ethical manner. Although education and certification are necessary components to prepare the novice medical laboratory health care professional for clinical practice, continued competence is essential for maintaining sound practice.

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) believes it is the responsibility of governments (provincial, territorial and federal) in partnership with employers and unions, to implement strategies for recruitment and retention of medical laboratory professionals (MLPs) in rural and remote communities.

It is the position of the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) that all Medical Laboratory Professionals play a vital role in ensuring patient safety in the delivery of health care services.

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) believes that committing to environmentally responsible practices must be a priority. 

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) supports the use of online health information portals for providing laboratory testing results and relevant information to patients and care givers. It is the expectation that a portal should allow users to be engaged and active participants in health care matters, promote health literacy, increase transparency of the medical health record for the individual, as well as support new access to care models.

CSMLS endorses Point of Care Testing (POCT) when it is overseen by a medical laboratory. A laboratory POCT program is a collaborative and coordinated process between the clinical laboratory and other health care professionals, and there is clear evidence that the use of this technology improves the quality of patient care.

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) believes that high quality medical laboratory work life environments, also known as positive practice environments, directly impact medical laboratory professionals’ job satisfaction, productivity, recruitment and retention. A quality work life environment  positively influences laboratory services, encourages safe work environments in health care systems and strengthens patient care.

In keeping with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations (CDC), it is the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science’s (CSMLS) position that N-95 respirators are the minimum level of protection for laboratory personnel who may be exposed to airborne infectious agents.

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) believes that laboratory professionals need to be fully aware of the positive and negative implications of their online actions through social media and consider the potential impact that their interactions on such platforms can have on how they are perceived as professionals.

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) endorses the regulation of medical laboratory professionals (MLPs) in all jurisdictions across Canada. As a key element of patient safety, regulation defines the practice of medical laboratory science, establishes the requirements and qualifications necessary to practice in the medical laboratory profession, and describes the boundaries within which the profession operates. 

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) supports using consensus-developed standards for Medical Laboratory Science to enhance and ensure quality healthcare for all Canadians.

CSMLS supports the use of simulation in the academic environment as an educational technique to assist students in achieving CSMLS-defined competence. The use of simulation to partially replace and/or enhance clinical placement training is acknowledged as a viable and contributing solution to increasing the medical laboratory workforce in Canada.