Biosecurity is a term broadly applied to the protection, control and accountability of biological agents and toxins to minimise the risk of their introduction through natural, unintentional (accidents) or deliberate processes. Biosecurity protection involves the engagement of all stakeholders including government, public health networks, industry, and scientific community. While the Commonwealth Government primarily manages biosecurity, it is also a shared responsibility with State and Territory governments. Rapid, accurate diagnosis is essential to informing all levels of response to biosecurity threats. External quality assurance (EQA) through proficiency testing (PT) is an indispensable tool to allow assessment of laboratory performance. This ensures laboratory capability and capacity are in a constant state of readiness to effectively detect biological threats and reduce the impact and transmission of disease. Since 2009, the Royal College of Pathologists Australasia Quality Assurance Program (RCPAQAP) has been contracted by the Australian Government Department of Health to establish a proficiency testing program (PTP) for the detection of biological threat agents. Starting out as a PTP for the detection of Bacillus anthracis, RCPAQAP Biosecurity has undergone significant transformation, thereby building and enhancing laboratory preparedness. Alterations in the program have been in line with the changing landscape of biosecurity and other emerging infectious diseases across Australia, and worldwide.

生物安全性是一个广泛应用于生物制剂和毒素的保护，控制和问责的术语，以最大程度地降低通过自然，非故意（事故）或故意过程引入生物制剂和毒素的风险。生物安全保护涉及所有利益相关者的参与，包括政府，公共卫生网络，行业和科学界。英联邦政府主要管理生物安全，但它也是州和地区政府的共同责任。快速，准确的诊断对于通知所有级别的生物安全威胁响应至关重要。通过能力测试（PT）进行的外部质量保证（EQA）是用于评估实验室性能的必不可少的工具。这样可确保实验室能力始终处于准备就绪状态，可以有效地检测生物威胁并减少疾病的影响和传播。自2009年以来，澳大利亚政府卫生部已与澳大利亚皇家病理医生学院质量保证计划（RCPAQAP）签订合同，以建立检测生物威胁因子的能力验证计划（PTP）。最初是作为PTP来检测RCPAQAP炭疽芽胞杆菌的生物安全性已经发生了重大变化，从而建立并增强了实验室准备。该计划的变更与澳大利亚乃至整个世界范围内生物安全和其他新兴传染病不断变化的形势相一致。