History UCAG²   The University Center for the Analysis of Pharmaceuticals and Health Products (UCAG²) was founded based on the knowledge and expertise of the research group Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Analysis, part of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Antwerp in Belgium. The research group received several recognitions in the past including:  Since 1975, a certification by the Ministry of Public Health to analyse drugs and to control their quality. Since 1995, a certification by the European Council as an official control laboratory for drugsand plant derived products.   Since 1975, quality control is frequently performed at the request of the Pharmaceutical Inspection and the General Food Inspection. In the past years, specific analytical techniques for the analysis of pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations and their excipients have been optimized and validated at the request of the pharmaceutical industry.     In 1999 UCAG² obtained an accreditation from Beltest (certificate number 135-T) for physical and physicochemical research of pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and their excipients.   In the past ten years the laboratory has proven to possess the experience and skills to develop new analytical methods. Since 2005 the scope of the laboratory has been considered to be flexible and a flexible scope accreditation was approved by Belac in 2008.   The present management consists of a scientific director (Prof. Sandra Apers), a financial and human resources director (Prof. Luc Pieters), and a quality assurance manager (Dr. Mart Theunis).