[Ecological transformation and quality of surgical pathological analysis: Not such an insoluble equation]

Ecological transition (ET) initiatives in pathology remain difficult to implement for several reasons, the most frequently cited being concerns about a potential incompatibility between the quality of pathology analyses (under ISO 15189 in France) and ET requirements. France has adopted an ambitious roadmap for the ecological planning of the healthcare system, which designates ET as a priority objective while maintaining equivalent quality and safety of care. The independent French Accreditation Committee (Cofrac) supports laboratories in establishing and controlling analytical protocols and adapts to changes occurring between accreditation visits through flexible accreditation scopes (scopes A/B). The multisite pathology laboratory Medipath, accredited for more than ten years, illustrates this flexibility through the implementation of a recycling process for "almost new" formalin from biopsies. In conclusion, quality management according to ISO 15189 is an agile and structured tool that not only accommodates any protocol changes, including those related to ET, but that can also guide the operational deployment of such initiatives.