A primary responsibility of the laboratory manager is to obtain analytical instrumentation for his or her facility. Traditionally, analyzers are purchased as capital investments. An increasingly popular alternative is the reagent lease/rental agreement. A manufacturer provides a laboratory with an analyzer with the provision that the laboratory will purchase the reagents from the manufacturer. Reagents are purchased at a set cost per test, which varies with test volume, and this price incorporates a charge for the use of the instrument. The laboratory manager can acquire a state-of-the-art analyzer more quickly and easily than through a purchase and can maintain the flexibility to switch to a more suitable system as technology and service requirements change. Significant advantages and disadvantages accrue to both the laboratory and the manufacturer. The reagent lease/rental agreement is an option definitely worth considering by laboratory managers.
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