MLSP111 – Defining the Practice of Medical
Technology
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEDTECH
PROFESSIONALS
• Perform Clinical Laboratory Testing
• Perform Special Procedures
• Ensure Accuracy and Precision of Results
• Be Honest in Practice
• Ensure Timely Delivery of Results
• Demonstrate Professionalism
• Uphold Confidentiality
• Collaborate with Other Health Care Professionals
• Conduct Research
• Involvement in Health Promotion Programs
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY PRACTICE
Republic Act No. 5527 (Philippine Medical Technology
Act of 1969)
1. Examination of tissues, sections, and excretions of
the human body and other body fluids through
electronic, chemical, microscopic, bacteriologic,
hematologic, or other laboratory procedures and
techniques, either manually or not
2. Blood banking procedures and techniques or other
blood transfusion services
3. Parasitologic, mycologic, and microbiologic
procedures and techniques
4. Histopathologic and cytotechnologic techniques
5. Clinical research involving human beings or animals
requiring the use of and/or application of medical
technology and procedures
6. Preparations and standardization of reagents,
standards, stains, or others; provided that such
reagents, standards, stains, or others are exclusively
for the use of their laboratory
7. Clinical laboratory quality control
8. Collection and preservation of specimens
CLINICAL LABORATORY PRACTITIONERS
1. PATHOLOGIST - Duly registered physician who
is especially trained in the methods of:
• laboratory medicine
• gross and microscopic study and
interpretation of tissues, and its
functions in order to diagnose
disease, follow its course, determine
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the effectivity of treatment, ascertain
the cause of death, and advance
medicine by means of research.
Normally considered the “head”
Counterchecks the work done by a
medtech
His/Her signature should always be
affixed in every result form released
by the laboratory
2. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST
 Defined as a person who engages in
the work of medical technology under
the supervision of a pathologist or a
licensed physician authorized by the
Department of Health in places where
there are no pathologist
 Having passed a prescribed course
(Bachelor of Science in Medical
Technology/ Bachelor of Science in
Hygiene) of training and examinations
 Registered under the provisions of the
aforementioned act.
 Front liners of laboratory diagnostics
 Process the specimens and release
the results after the tests have been
confirmed by the pathologist
 Their signature should always be
affixed in every result form released
by the laboratory
 Only registered or licensed medical
technologists are allowed to practice
 Practicing without any valid board
certification is, therefore, ILLEGAL and
PROHIBITED
3. MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
• A person certified by and registered
with the Professional Regulatory
Board of Medical Technology
• Qualified to assist a medical
technologist and/or qualified
pathologist in the practice of medical
technology
A person can also become a medical
laboratory technician without taking any examination
once he/she, upon application and payment of the
required fee, shows satisfactory evidence to the Board
that:
• He/she has passed the civil service
examination for medical technicians
given on March 21, 1969; or
• He/she has finished a two-year
college course and has at least one (1)
year of experience working as a
medical technology technician
•
• He/ She has failed to pass the board
exam for medical technology but
obtained a general rating of at least
70%
- A registered medical laboratory technician
when employed in the government shall have the
equivalent civil service eligibility not lower than the
second (2nd) grade.
4. PHLEBOTOMIST
• Someone trained to collect blood
samples either through a skin
puncture, venipuncture, or arterial
puncture.
• Refers to a specially trained person
who is responsible for drawing blood
samples from patients
• A high school graduate who may have
been trained on the job or who may
have gone through a phlebotomy
training program.
• May be given expanded
responsibilities, including specimen
processing or, in some cases, simple
laboratory testing such as the
macroscopic analysis of urine
specimen.
5. CYTOTECHNOLOGIST (“Cell Processor”)
• A laboratory practitioner who
examines human specimens to detect
cancer cells or diseases.
• Works closely with the pathologist to
arrive at a final diagnosis.
• Have baccalaureate degree with a
strong science background
• Know how to perform special
chemical stains and techniques, as
well as determine differences among
inflammatory, viral, and malignant
changes in cells.
• Cytologic examination may also be
performed by medical technologists
assigned in the histopathology section
of the laboratory.
• Skilled in the processing of human
specimens for the study of normal
and pathologic cellular changes and
the association of such findings to
clinical conditions of the patient
6. HISTOTECHNOLOGIST (“Tissue Processor”)
• Histologic technicians routinely
prepare, process, and stain biopsies
and tissue specimens for microscopic
examination by pathologist.
• Histotechnologists perform all the
aspects of the job that HTs do and
•
other more complex processing,
staining, or identification procedures
In abroad, a 12-month training
program has to be completed and
passed before a student can become
a histologic technician.
7. SPECIALIST
• Clinical laboratory scientist (CLS)/
medical technologist (MT) who
has worked for a number of years
in a specific discipline and has
extensive knowledge and
experience in that area.
8. CYTOGENETIC TECHNOLOGIST
• Provides the diagnosis of
inherited and acquired
chromosomal disorders
• Culture cells from tissue and body
fluid samples to obtain
chromosomes to be used in an
analysis.
• Must master the art of cell
culture, chromosome banding and
analysis (karyotyping), and
photography and darkroom skills.
• Computer imaging has become a
major part of this field.
9. NUCLEAR MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST
• Apply knowledge on radiation
physics and safety regulations to
limit radiation exposure, prepare
and administer
radiopharmaceuticals, and use of
radiation detection devices
10. TOXICOLOGIST
• Studies the effects of toxic
substances on the physiological
functions of man, animals and
plants.
• Designs and conducts studies to
determine physiologic effects of
various substances in samples
using biological and biochemical
techniques.
MLSP111 - Related Laws Governing the Practice
of Medical Technology in the Philippines
RA 5527
Title: The Philippine Medical Technology Act of
1969
 Date of Approval: June 21, 1969
 Significance: RA 5527 dignifies the profession
of medical technology.
RA 8981
Title: PRC Modernization Act of 2000
 Date of Approval: December 5, 2000
 Significance: Discusses the vital role of PRC as
an agency that addresses the major concerns
of all existing local professionals
RA 4688
Title: The Clinical Laboratory Law of 1966
 Date of Approval: June 18, 1966
 Significance: RA 4688 regulates the Clinical
laboratories in the Philippines
RA 7170
Title: Organ Donation Act of 1991
 Date of Approval: January 7, 1992
 Significance: Act that authorizes the legacy of
donation of all parts of human body after
death for specified purposes.
RA 1517
Title: The Blood Banking Law of 1956
 Date of Approval: June 16, 1956
 Significance: RA 1517 is the first law
concerning one of the practices of medical
technology in the Philippines since the science
was introduced at the end of World War II.
RA 7719
Title: The National Blood Services Act of 1994
 Date of Approval: May 5, 1994
 Significance: Mainly focuses on the prevention
of acquisition of blood transmissible diseases.
RA 8504
Title: The Philippine AIDS Prevention and
Control of 1998
 Date of Approval: February 13, 1998
 Significance: RA 8504 helps control the
alarming rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the
Philippines.
RA 9165
Title: Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of
2002
 Date of Approval: January 13, 2003
 Significance: It regulates existing drug testing
laboratories in the Philippines with emphasis
on their functions and licensing requirements.
RA 9288
Title: Newborn Screening Act of 2004
 Date of Approval: April 7, 2004
 Significance: RA 9288 focuses on the
implementation of laboratory tests towards
the general health of newborns.
* Professionals within the Clinical Laboratory *
Clinical Laboratory
 Refers to a facility subdivided into different
sections where common diagnostic
procedures are done by specialized health
professionals
 A laboratory where tests are done on clinical
specimens in order to get information about
the health of a patient, as pertaining to the
diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of
diseases
Classification:
A. According to function:
• Clinical Pathology – A medical specialty that
deals with microscopic and gross examination of body
fluids to identify abnormalities in the body
• Anatomic Pathology – A medical specialty
that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based
on the gross, microscopic, and molecular examination
of organs, tissues, and whole bodies
• Forensic Pathology – specialized field in
medicine which deals with determining the cause of
death and other legally relevant information from the
bodies of persons who died in non-medical or
potentially criminal circumstances.
B. According to institutional character
• Institution-Based
• Free-Standing
C. According to Service Capability
• Primary: minimum space required- 10 sq.m ,
Routine hematology, routine urinalysis, routine
fecalysis, blood typing, quantitative platelet
determination
• Secondary- primary lab. Exam, routine
chemistry, blood typing and crossmatching (HB)
• Tertiary- 60 sq.m – secondary lab exam,
special chemistry, special hematology,
immunology/serology, microbiology
Hospital Administrator
• Retain ultimate responsibility in achieving goals
Laboratory Director
• Directs and manages all lab operations and ensures
quality patient care
• Interprets test results, with consulting pathologist
• has ultimate responsibility for all laboratory
operations
Pathologist
• A licensed physician specially trained in laboratory
medicine, during a hospital practice known as
residency training
• The training covers gross and microscopic
examination and analysis of tissues, secretions,
excretions of human body in order to diagnose
disease, determine the effectivity of treatment and
establish the cause of death by means of research
• After the training, he is required to take a practical
and written specialty examination to be conducted by
the Philippine Board of Pathology
Chief Medical Technologist
• They create and maintain an environment for
laboratory professionals to function efficiently.
• They plan, organize, direct, and control jobs.
Medical Technologist
• Individuals who actually perform the laboratory
analyses
Laboratory Technician / Med. Lab. Technician
• Assist MedTech in the performance of different
laboratory assays.
Laboratory Aide
• Cleans and maintains laboratory glassware and/or
instruments.
Additional Professionals in the Clinical Laboratory
DOH AO NO. 2021-0037
• POCT Coordinator
A senior staff from the CL shall be designated
as a POCT coordinator who shall have the following
functions, but not limited to:
• Ensures that POCT machines/device and kits are
properly maintained.
• Supervises the operators of POCT
device/machine.
• Ensures that the operators have appropriate
trainings and checks the competency of the operators
regularly.
• POCT Operator
The designated operator of the POCT
device/machine and testing kits shall have the
following functions, but not limited to:
• Ensures accurate results of POCT.
• Ensure that POCT machines/device and kits are
properly maintained and stored.
• Run tests on quality control at least once each
day or as recommended by the manufacturer.
• MCL Personnel
MCL shall has its own set of personnel, which
includes the following but not limited to:
• Registered Medical Technologist — number will
depend on the anticipate workload.
• Support staff such as, but not limited to, driver
and laboratory technician.
Personal Qualities Desirable in Medical Laboratory
Professionals
Dedication
Cooperation
Neatness
Caring attitude
Physical stamina
Good eyesight
Normal color vision
Manual dexterity
Good intellect
Aptitude for biological
sciences
Communication skills
Honesty
MLSP111 - Medical Technology Profession:
Problems, Resources, and Needs
• Increase in the demand of laboratory tests
that was further boosted by the pandemic
As very important members of the health care team:
• Many MTs/MLSs are resigning from work
because of burnout
- A survey of laboratory professionals by the American
Society for Clinical Pathology showed that
85.3% reported burnout. An additional 36.5%
complained of inadequate staffing and almost as
many of a too heavy workload. Lack of recognition
was cited by 14.9%.
• Medtechs provide essential service to
patient care by performing a wide array of laboratory
investigations
• Medtechs validate the accuracy of test
results
• Medtechs the test results to the
pathologists and to the physicians
The greatest dilemma that keeps the medical
technology profession for growing is...
the obscurity of not knowing the opportunities.
Currently, there is a growing concern about the
shortage of qualified laboratory personnel here and
abroad,
Alleviating the problem is the painful act that more
experienced Filipino medical technologists are going
abroad,
Makes them very eager to seek a high-paying job
which is believed to be achieved
As the result, vacancy rates for laboratory positions in
the country are at all-time high.
Medical technologists are now in high demand.
There is a critical shortage of medical laboratory
professionals in the US and in Canada, to a lesser
extent.
There are 20,000-25,000 short on staff, with only
337,800 practicing. That is roughly one medical
laboratory scientist per 1,000 people.
In the Philippines, the target Medtech to population
ratio is 1:20,000 but the current ratio is 1:68,000
Reasons for the Increased Demand of
Medtechs/Med Lab Scientists in the US and other
countries
• Decreasing number of schools offering BS
Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory
Science in the US
• MTs/MLSs who belong to the “Baby
Boomers” generation are retired/ already retiring
-many baby boomers are looking at early retirement