On Oct. 7, 1992, all U.S. mammography facilities, except those managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, must be certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to legally continue to provide mammography services.

The requirement was a result of the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992 (MQSA), which requires national, uniform quality standards for mammography facilities and is intended to ensure that all women have access to safe and effective mammography services for early detection of breast cancer.

The FDA was delegated the authority to implement MQSA in June 1993. On December 21, 1993, the FDA published interim standards in the Federal Register covering equipment, personnel, quality assurance, and recordkeeping and reporting (1). The interim standards also set requirements that must be met by accrediting bodies. FDA is collaborating with the National Mammography Quality Assurance Advisory Committee to develop more comprehensive, final standards.