PSC Q515

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system is the U.S. federal government’s standardized taxonomy for classifying purchases of goods, services, and research so procurement actions can be tracked, analyzed, and reported in systems such as FPDS and SAM. The PSC Manual on Acquisition.gov defines and maintains these codes and describes the scope and exclusions for each PSC entry, including medical and clinical services. ¹

PSC code Q515 (Medical - Pathology) covers clinical and forensic pathology services provided directly by pathologists — including surgical pathology, cytopathology, and forensic pathology — as well as the laboratory technical personnel who support pathology work. The manual lists explicit exclusions, such as services performed by reference laboratories and procurements of laboratory instruments and equipment, which are reported under product PSCs. ¹

What this PSC covers

• Surgical pathology services and interpretive pathology reporting. ¹
• Cytopathology and cytology interpretation services. ¹
• Forensic pathology examinations and death-investigation pathology. ¹
• Clinical pathology testing performed directly by pathologists. ¹
• Laboratory technical staff supporting pathology (cytotechnologists, histotechnicians, phlebotomy technicians, medical laboratory technologists/technicians). ¹

Related PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
PSC	Q301	Reference laboratory services (listed as an exclusion to Q515).
PSC	Q508	Medical - Hematology & Oncology (related medical specialty PSC).
PSC	6632	Analysis instruments, medical laboratory use (laboratory equipment excluded from Q515).

All relationships above are documented in the PSC Manual. ¹

Reporting & FPDS usage

PSC values are reported in FPDS as data element 8A, “Product or Service Code”; the code selected should reflect the predominant product or service procured for the reported transaction. The FPDS data dictionary defines element 8A and references the PSC Manual as the authoritative code source. ²

Frequently asked questions

• Q: What exactly does Q515 include?
  A: Q515 covers services provided directly by a pathologist (surgical pathology, cytopathology, forensic pathology) and the associated technical personnel (cytotechnologists, histotechnicians, phlebotomy technicians, medical laboratory technologists/technicians). Exclusions include reference laboratories and laboratory-equipment product PSCs. ¹

• Q: Should reference-lab work be coded to Q515?
  A: No. Work performed by a reference laboratory is explicitly excluded from Q515 and should be reported under the reference-laboratory PSC Q301. ¹

• Q: Which FPDS data element captures the PSC on an award?
  A: The Product or Service Code is recorded in FPDS element 8A; choose the PSC that best represents the predominant product or service procured and ensure it matches a valid entry in the PSC Manual. ²

• Q: Which PSCs cover laboratory instruments and equipment?
  A: Laboratory instruments and equipment are mapped to product PSCs such as 6632 and 6640; these product PSCs are excluded from clinical-service PSCs like Q515. ¹

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC Q515 page: https://app.g2xchange.com/psc/Q515
• Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual — Acquisition.gov. ¹
• FPDS-NG Data Dictionary — Product or Service Code (element 8A) — FPDS. ²

References

1. Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual, April 2025 edition. U.S. General Services Administration (Acquisition.gov). https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf.
2. V1.4 FPDS-NG Data Dictionary — Product or Service Code (8A). FPDS.gov. https://www.fpds.gov/wiki/index.php/V1.4_FPDS-NG_Data_Dictionary.

Related NAICS and PSC codes

NAICS and PSC serve different reporting purposes: NAICS classifies the industry or establishment that performs the work, while PSC identifies the product or service procured. For pathology services, the NAICS most commonly associated is 621511 — Medical Laboratories. Associations between PSC entries and NAICS codes are not defined as a formal one‑to‑one mapping in the PSC Manual; use FPDS guidance when assigning both codes on an award. ^[1]

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	621511	Medical Laboratories
PSC	Q515	Medical - Pathology (this PSC)
PSC	Q301	Reference laboratory services (explicit exclusion to Q515)
PSC	Q508	Medical - Hematology & Oncology (related clinical specialty)
PSC	6632	Analysis instruments, medical laboratory use (product PSC; equipment excluded from Q515)
PSC	6640	Medical, dental, and laboratory instruments and equipment (product PSC)

Practical guidance: report the PSC in FPDS element 8A and the appropriate NAICS in the NAICS element (per FPDS rules); select the PSC that best represents the predominant service procured and the NAICS that best represents the performing industry. ^[2]