Toxicology Overview

CONTACT INFORMATION

Staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

PACLAB's Toxicology Laboratory provides state-of-the-art forensic drug testing, support, and service.

We are pleased to provide experienced staff members to assist with your drug testing program.  Our toxicology staff members are always available to answer your questions and to provide consultation.

In addition, staff members are available to conduct inservice training sessions at your location.  Other available services include expert technical consultation, expert testimony, specialized presentations, educational materials, and more.

State-Of-The-Art Drug Testing
PACLAB employs the very latest drug testing technologies. Our drug testing and confirmation activities utilize a variety of analytical methods and techniques:

• Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
• Gas Chromatography (GC)
• Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique (EMIT)
• Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC)
• High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
• Liquid Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS)
• Liquid Chromatography / Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)

Any specimen with a positive result is automatically confirmed by a second method. Confirmation testing is performed in compliance with the highest recognized standards - providing clients with the assurance of the greatest possible accuracy and reliability of results.

Why Test for Drugs?
Many employers now require employee drug testing. In fact, recent surveys by the American Management Association suggest that over 80% of all employers have some type of drug testing requirement. The reasons are clear; many employers find that drug testing provides measurable benefits via increased productivity, decreased employee turn-over, lower insurance premiums, and lower disability claims.

Why Choose PACLAB?
Employers, hospitals, occupational health units, physicians, and many others find that PACLAB is the right choice for their drug testing needs. PACLAB has a history of high service levels delivered in an easy-to-use system. Our many years of experience allow PACLAB to establish helpful partnerships with our clients, while PACLAB's expert technical staff provides a level of accessibility unmatched by most toxicology laboratories. PACLAB's large service region coupled with its extensive courier network and affiliates allows our service to grow right along with your needs.

The Importance of Choosing a Certified Laboratory
When selecting a laboratory to handle employee drug testing, it's important to select a facility that is certified by the appropriate agencies. By using a certified laboratory, employers are assured that specimens are handled according to established protocols, that strict testing standards and procedures are used - including internal and external auditing - and ultimately, that test results can stand up in court.

PACLAB's Toxicology Department is certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), formerly the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). In addition, PACLAB is recognized as meeting or exceeding the standards of: the College of American Pathologists (CAP), CAP for Forensic Urine Drug Testing (FUDT), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS), and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for Interstate Commerce.

Accreditation and Licensure
PACLAB is formally recognized as meeting or exceeding the standards of the following agencies:

• College of American Pathologists (CAP)
• CAP for Forensic Urine Drug Testing (FUDT)
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Formerly the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for Interstate Commerce
• Pacific Northwest Genetics Group Proficiency Testing Program

Validity Testing 
With the increase acceptance of workplace drug testing, many donors have tried to "Beat" the drug test by using a variety of products available on the market. These products range from solutions for the donors to drink, to adding compounds into their urine specimens after they have voided, to substituting the specimen with other fluids or even obtain negative urine from friends or vendors. Many of these products try to affect the initial screen in hopes that the reagent will produce a negative or below the cutoff result. Others have little affect on the initial screen but interfere in some way with the confirmation test in hopes that a forensically defendable result will not be obtained.

The National Laboratory Certification Program which gives oversight to SAMHSA certification has taken a strong and active roll in specimen validity testing. Each laboratory must determine whether a donor has submitted a valid specimen by identifying the following:

Adulterated: the specimen either contains a substance that is not a normal constituent of human urine or contains an endogenous substance at a concentration that is not a normal physiological concentration.

Substituted: test results document that the specimen does not exhibit the characteristics of normal human urine (i.e., it could not have been provided by the donor).

Dilute: specific gravity and creatinine values are below the lower limits for normal human urine, as established by the program. Donors may deliberately dilute specimens by consuming large amounts of water or other liquid or by adding liquid to their urine specimens.

PACLAB provides validity testing on every specimen tested. With the current amount of products available, and the new ones hitting the shelves each week, PACLAB Toxicology is working hard to identify each donor as they try to beat their drug test.

PACLAB is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and licensed by the State of Washington Department of Health as a Medical Test Site to comply with HCFA and CLIA ’88 rules. PACLAB’s Toxicology Department is certified by both the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) and CAP- Forensic Urine Drug Testing (FUDT).