Toxicology

If you're considering a drug testing program, please contact the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (S.C. DHEC) Bureau of Laboratories (BOL).

Since 1969, the Laboratory has operated a comprehensive drugs of abuse screening service at competitive rates using the latest in laboratory technologies. BOL is certified by the College of American Pathologists (CAP Lab # 14209-01) for Forensic Urine Drug Testing. BOL is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA ID # 42D0658606)by the United States Department of Health and Human Services administered through the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).

Clients can choose from a menu of drug testing panels which screen for such drugs as marijuana and cocaine, amphetamine, d-Lysergic acid Diethylamide (LSD) and barbiturates, alcohol.

Clients from rehabilitation, college athletics, law enforcement, medicine, construction, and textiles have benefited from our specialized services. Among these services are:

Alcohol and other drug abuse not only hurts individual abusers, but their families, co-workers and the organization which employs them.

Drug Testing Services..

DHEC's BOL believes that starting a urine testing program for possible drug or alcohol abuse in any organization is a serious matter. Before making the decision to begin testing, an organization should review the nature and extent of personnel drug use and the impact it has on productivity, safety, quality control, and profits. Most organizations find that a drug testing program more than pays for itself in increased production and lower operation costs.

If you decide that a urine testing program would best serve your organization's needs, we encourage you to use the drug screening services of the BOL. The laboratory is directed by an American Board of Clinical Chemistry certified Ph.D. clinical chemist. The testing staff consists of clinical lab technologists, medical technologists, and senior chemists. The BOL offers the following services:

Testing procedures include the use of immunoassay, gas chromatography (GC), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Negatives or drug-free specimens, are maintained for a minimum of ten days. Positive chain-of- custody specimens containing drugs of abuse are routinely retained frozen for one year. Tests available and cutoff values are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Drug Tests Available
Drug Screening Cutoff Confirmation Cutoff (ng/mL)
Amphetamine 1000 ng/mL 500 ng/mL
Cocaine 300 ng/mL 150 ng/mL
Marijuana 50 ng/mL 15 ng/mL
Opiates 300 ng/mL 300 ng/mL
Phencyclidine (PCP) 25 ng/mL 25 ng/mL
Alcohol 40 ng/mL 40 ng/mL
Barbiturates 200 ng/mL Full scan identify. Not quantitated.
Benzodiazepines 200 ng/mL Sent to Reference Lab
Lyseric Acid diamide (LSD) 0.5 ng/mL Sent to Reference Lab
Methadone 300 ng/mL Full scan identify. Not quantitated.
Methaqualone 300 ng/mL Full scan identify. Not quantitated.
Propoxyphene 300 ng/mL Full scan identify. Not quantitated.

Drug Testing Information...

Preliminary Screen
Immunoassay testing is recommended as the initial screen and will satisfy most organization's needs. This screen tests for amphetamine, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids (marijuana), cocaine, d-Lysergic acid Diethylamide (LSD,) methaqualone, methadone, opiates, phencyclidine, propoxyphene, and alcohol. To reflect current trends in drug abuse, the drugs listed in the testing protocol are continuously reviewed and modified as needed.

Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) Confirmation
For those who require precise confirmation of results, we recommend GC/MS testing. This procedure provides high specificity and low detection limits. Confirmation is required for all forensic specimens which are positive on preliminary screening. Confirmation is strongly recommended for all other specimens which are positive on preliminary screening and the results are to be utilized in legal or disciplinary actions.

Chain-of-Custody
When laboratory test results are to be used for legal purposes, a chain-of-custody protocol must be maintained for the urine specimens. Chain-of-custody is a protocol used to certify that a sample has not been compromised and meets the legal requirements for protection of evidence.

The collection site for the samples may be a doctor's office, the place of employment, or at the BOL. The collection site must possess trained personnel, materials, equipment and facilities to collect the sample. The site must also provide secure, temporary storage until the samples can be sent to the BOL for analysis.

If chain-of-custody procedures are requested, the Laboratory observes the legal requirements for protecting the samples. A specimen will not be considered a chain-of-custody sample unless all chain-of-custody requirements are met.

For more information about the chain-of-custody protocol, or for collection kits and step-by-step instructions, contact the Lab at 803-896-0963.

Reporting Results...
Specimens received before 10:00 a.m. are routinely analyzed the same day. Negative specimen results are normally reported within 24 hours.

Confirmation of positive specimens may require an additional 48-72 hours, depending on the complexity of the extraction and identification procedures.

The Laboratory can provide emergency services, but is normally staffed only between the hours 7:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Exceptions for emergencies can be arranged with prior notification of the laboratory.

More detailed information on developing a testing program and drug abuse screening panel modifications can be obtained by calling the Analytical Chemistry Division at 803 896-0963. The mailing address is:

S.C. DHEC, Bureau of Laboratories
8231 Parklane Rd
Columbia, S.C. 29223
ALL REPORTS AND CONSULTATIONS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL !