The Toxicology Laboratory underwent a successful on-site two day inspection by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology in May 2016 and continues to be certified by the New York State Forensic Laboratory Certification Program. The Laboratory will undergo mid-cycle review in June 2017 for recertification.
The Laboratory has strived to maintain a minimal
postmortem case backlog for Pathologists and families of the deceased in order to
expedite case resolution. The Laboratory
also continues to provide timely reporting of DWI/DUID alcohol and drug results
for the District Attorney’s Office.
Toxicology also provides frequent consultations and expert testimony for
the District Attorney’s Office on alcohol and drug testing results as well as on
alcohol breath test cases.
In order to provide the best service possible to
Pathologists and to aid in prosecution of DWI/DUID and Drug-Facilitated Sexual
Assault Cases, the Toxicology Laboratory continues to expand the scope of
testing for new and relevant drugs of abuse that continually appear on the
market.
The Laboratory continues to maintain the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) clinical
drug testing permit to meet the demands of the Drug Testing Laboratory Program
for the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, the Methadone Maintenance
Treatment Program, and the Probation Department. In order to be an accredited lab by DCJS in
NYS, Toxicology is inspected by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology
(ABFT). DCJS provides grant funding to
assist in meeting their criteria for accreditation. There are no specific
demands by DCJS or ABFT to analyze (i.e., test for) for certain substances,
other than ensuring that the Laboratory protocols are forensically acceptable. DCJS has significantly increased its
requirements of toxicology labs, including ours, and that trend will likely
continue, requiring significant additional supervisory tasks/time. There are also peer guidelines regarding limits
of detection of relevant substances tested.
The Laboratory continually expands its scope of testing in order to
provide the best services to pathologists and the Public Safety
Departments. DCJS and ABFT make basic
recommendations on toxicological testing.
The Laboratory provides state-of-the-art forensic and
diagnostic results for mandated programs, and personnel maintain Laboratory
Technologists’ licenses in compliance with NYSDOH regulations.