Defendable™ is “Insurance for Drug Court Labs” and confirms drug court lab equipment is properly calibrated and the testing process is working correctly.
NASHVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, July 25, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — NADCP RISE 22 – Alternative Biomedical Solutions, the nation’s leading provider of technical expertise and services to clinical and diagnostic labs, today announced Defendable™, a new proficiency testing tool intended to help ensure drug court lab equipment is properly calibrated and working correctly.
Drug testing equipment is complex, and most tests are designed to analyze multiple criteria to determine if a sample is negative or positive. If one component of the testing equipment isn’t properly calibrated, it could impact the test result. For example, there could be a problem with the analyzer’s calibration or the reagents resulting in false negatives, especially when the drug concentration in the sample is low and/or at the lower end of the detection range. Defendable provides an independent check that will help testing centers ensure they’re always detecting positive samples.
“There are about 3,500 active drug courts in the United States, and with skyrocketing opioid addiction cases, the courts and the labs that serve them are busier than ever,” said Chris Arrington, Senior Vice President of Core Commercial Operations for ABS.
“From a legal standpoint, drug court lab tests must meet very strenuous requirements – there is no margin for error. Defendable is a third-party proficiency testing tool that offers the criminal justice community peace of mind – it is the same program that traditional labs use to have an independent party periodically check the accuracy of their drug test equipment and process,” he added.
How it works:
ABS will send random samples three times a year to Criminal Justice labs participating in the Defendable program. Each sample will be positive for several different abused drugs. The concentration of these drugs can be high or low. The testing center will not be aware of what drugs are present in the sample. Staff will test the sample as normal and return the results back to ABS.
• Sample and concentrations will be different each time, and lab staff does not know what the sample contains.
• Samples are run just as any other samples, and results are reported back to ABS.
• ABS will interpret the test results and review the results for accuracy.
• In complex cases, a Medical Review Officer who is a licensed physician with knowledge of substance abuse disorders and drug testing regulation is available to interpret the test results and review results for accuracy.
• The customer will be provided with documentation of their test results that in addition to calibration and quality control data will help demonstrate that the testing facility is generating accurate results.
• In the event of an incorrect result, ABS will notify the facility, assist with troubleshooting and work with the customer and the customer’s testing vendor to ensure corrective action is taken.
For over 30 years, Alternative Bio Solutions has provided diagnostic and clinical labs with expertise, technologies, service, and solutions. We offer unbiased advice to assist with technology selection, method developments, validation, and regulatory consulting. Our mission is to help labs operate safely, cost-and effectively.
About ABS
ABS’ Mission is to advance human health and product safety by providing integrated technology and services to our customers. We serve toxicology, pain management, drug rehabilitation, criminal justice, forensic, environmental, cannabis, and other mature and emerging markets. ABS offers unbiased, OEM-neutral solutions that enable innovation while delivering world-class technical service. We also support our clients and markets with a state-of-the-art reference laboratory. ABS is a Centre Lane Partners portfolio company.