[Quality assurance in blood transfusion]

Quality assurance is a legal obligation in the blood transfusion sector, dictating good practice procedures for blood banks. Application of good practices leads to the construction of a quality assurance system guaranteeing transfusion safety from donor to patient and from donation to dispensing of blood products that must meet recognized standards and predetermined targets. Good practice procedures are thus designed to meet legal requirements but an appropriate quality assurance system should not be limited to this regulatory approach. Considering public health and medical safety goals, quality assurance management must be conducted within the framework of a solid organization of team responsibilities and complementary interactions. Changing legal regulations concerning the blood transfusion sector offers a real opportunity for the organization of a homogeneous approach implying self-sufficient supply, product quality, and transfusion safety.