Clinical and Forensic Toxicology Department

The international standards we have adopted include:

• Witnessed specimen collection procedure (to ensure donor specimen identity)
• Consent declaration and chain of custody documentation (to ensure specimen integrity)
• State-of-the-art testing facility equipped with the latest technology like UHPLC-MS/MS, Tox-Analyzer GC-MS, Headspace GC-FID, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, etc.
• Specimen validity test (to discourage drug test beating by the donor and rule out specimen substitution and/or adulteration)
• Rapid urine drug screening based on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) cut-off values
• Confirmatory tests for positive-screened urine, blood and hair samples
• Technical & Administrative review and reporting
• Interpretation of results & court testimony, on request

The addition of accurate and reliable drug testing using hair and blood specimens has complemented urine drug testing and can aid in combating organizations devoted to suborning drug testing through adulteration, substitution, and dilution. For example, hair testing may detect chronic drug exposure from weeks to years and is a useful tool in pre-admission, pre-employment, and on-the-job workplace/forensic drug testing. Our state-of-the-art instruments and validated methodologies make our tests reliable and efficient.

Currently, we are offering the following testing services:

• Urine Drugs of Abuse Screening Panel (9-10 Drugs Panel) using Immunochromatographic technique.
• Hair Drugs of Abuse Screening Panel (10-12 Drugs Panel) using Immunochromatographic technique.
• Blood Drug Levels (29 Drugs Panel) using latest Bio-Chip Array Technology.
• Qualitative Confirmation Panel 1 (Opiates, cocaine, & their metabolites) in urine, blood, or hair samples using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
• Qualitative confirmation of each drug class, like Cannabinoids, Benzodiazepines, Opiates/ Opioids, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Phencyclidine, etc, in urine, blood, or hair using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
• Quantitative confirmation of Cannabinoids in urine using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
• Cotinine (Metabolite of Nicotine/Tobacco) levels in blood or urine using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
• Qualitative Confirmation of Cotinine (Metabolite of Nicotine/Tobacco) in Hair using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
• Blood Alcohol concentration using Headspace Gas Chromatography coupled to Flame Ionization Detector
• Urine Alcohol Concentration using Headspace Gas Chromatography coupled to Flame Ionization Detector
• Blood carbon monoxide qualitative confirmation using Conway Microdiffusion Cell technique.
• Poison screening tests (Paraphenylenediamine, Cyanide, Phosphine, Arsenic, Mercury, Salicylates, Methanol, etc.) in biological and non-biological samples
• Serum Vitamin A test using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
• Serum Vitamin E test using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
• Serum Copper test using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry
• Blood Lead Level using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

We are also offering research sample testing for unknown compounds, quantification of compounds, pesticide residue testing, organic volatiles impurities, etc.

Who can benefit from these tests?

• Academic Institutions (Schools, Colleges, Universities)
• Research Institutes/ organizations
• Law enforcement Agencies (Armed forces, Police, Lawyers, etc.)
• Public and Private Aviation Authorities
• Medical doctors & Medico-legal examiners
• National & Multinational companies/ organizations
• Sports bodies/ organizations
• Olympic Associations
• Rehabilitation centers

The toxicology department is leading & successfully running a nationwide campaign, “Drug Free Pakistan, “ to combat the menace of drug abuse in Pakistan.