FDA sheds light on role of MQSA inspectors

The FDA has published new information about the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) program on its website, outlining what is expected of MQSA inspectors once they have been hired.

“Candidates complete rigorous training in order to become MQSA-qualified inspectors,” the document reads. “The expectations continue to be high even after the training courses have been completed.”

Part of the process all MQSA inspectors go through is the completion of a “structured mentorship program,” which helps them learn how to use everything they learned during their training inside a facility. This new information provided by the FDA also noted that inspectors are audited annually and are required to complete a total of 24 MQSA inspections every two years.

In addition, the FDA emphasized that more than 87 percent of facilities have no violations of the MQSA, and less than one percent of facilities have a "serious" violation.

“It is vital that facilities and their inspectors partner together to realize the public health goal of the MQSA; quality mammography across the nation in order to detect breast cancer in its early, most treatable stages,” the document reads.

The full text can be found here.