MALVERN, PA — The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has unveiled a new pricing structure aimed at making its vast library of standards documents and support materials more accessible to laboratories worldwide.
The Pennsylvania-based institute’s innovative Country-Based Pricing model is designed to reflect the World Bank’s Income Groups, which are revised annually in August and based on each nation’s gross national income. This approach ensures that laboratories in low- and lower-middle-income countries can access CLSI’s resources at a 90% discount, while those in upper-middle-income countries receive a 50% price reduction.
This year, more than 136 lower- and middle-income countries stand to benefit from the discounted pricing, which applies to over 350 crucial laboratory resources, including Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing, Evaluation Protocol guidelines, Point-of-Care Testing and Newborn Screening resources, and Quality Management essentials.
CLSI CEO Barb Jones expressed enthusiasm about the potential impact of the new pricing model, noting the institute’s mission to promote safe and effective laboratory practices globally. “Our consensus-based standards incorporate the deep knowledge and expertise of the world’s leaders in laboratory medicine and are widely considered the gold standard for laboratory practice,” Jones explained. “We are energized by the potential for Country-Based Pricing to support professionals around the world who contribute daily to global health and safety.”
The implementation of the Country-Based Pricing model follows a successful pilot project in India last year, where laboratories and clinicians enjoyed a 90% discount. The pilot resulted in a substantial increase in document usage (746% for paid documents, 149% for free documents) and users (313%), significantly enhancing laboratory practices across India.
Ana Valencia Buesos, general manager of Laboratorios Buesos Arias and a CLSI member, lauded the new pricing structure. “The new prices make it accessible for us to implement and use your guidelines for the sake of patient safety,” Buesos said. “Efforts like this are worthy of applause and for other institutions and companies to imitate these actions.”
The Country-Based Pricing model has broad implications for the future of global health. By making laboratory standards more affordable, CLSI is empowering laboratories in resource-constrained settings to improve their practices, which could lead to more accurate diagnoses, better patient outcomes, and ultimately, healthier communities. The move also sets a precedent for other organizations to follow suit, potentially sparking a global trend toward more equitable access to critical healthcare resources.
As CLSI’s new pricing structure takes effect, laboratories around the world can look forward to greater access to high-quality standards and resources. This is a significant step towards leveling the playing field in global health, and it will be fascinating to see how this move reshapes laboratory practices in the years to come.
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