The Growing Demand for Toxicology Testing

The global toxicology laboratory testing market is expected to grow by $32.58 billion between 2023 and 2028, with a 15.61% CAGR, source: Technavio. As demand rises, toxicology labs must find ways to increase efficiency while maintaining compliance and accuracy.

Toxicology labs today face multiple challenges:

• Regulatory compliance with evolving standards

• Increased sample volumes due to the opioid crisis and expanded drug testing

• Limited resources and workforce shortages

• Data management and reporting requirements for legal and forensic cases

To stay ahead, labs must work smarter, not harder. Implementing an advanced Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) like Forensic Advantage can help toxicology labs with their operations, ensuring faster turnaround times and better accuracy.

How Crime Lab LIMS Solves These Challenges

A LIMS is the backbone of toxicology labs, helping them automate workflows, track evidence, and manage compliance requirements. Here’s how Forensic Advantage’s solutions—including Crime Lab LIMS and Toxicology Batch Processing—help labs meet these demands.

1. Managing High Sample Volumes

Forensic Toxicology labs are processing more cases than ever, whether for:

• Forensic drug testing (DUI/DUID cases and drug identification)

• Postmortem evaluation for determining direct or contributing cause and manner of death

With Forensic Advantage’s Toxicology Batch Processing, labs can:

• Automate batch sample assignments to multiple analysts in real time

• Eliminate manual data entry errors with seamless instrument integration

• Ensure bi-directional data exchange between lab equipment and LIMS

• Adjust to new or changing requirements with limited or no assistance

A strong LIMS ensures toxicology labs can process high volumes without sacrificing accuracy or compliance.

2. Ensuring Compliance with - ISO 17025 or ISO 17020

The LIMS provides automated documentation and audit trails, making it easier to meet:

• ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for forensic toxicology

• ISO 17020 & CLIA compliance for laboratory-developed tests

• State-specific forensic regulations

3. Fast Turnaround Times & Reflex Testing

Toxicology testing requires rapid and accurate results, especially for DUI/DUID cases and postmortem examinations. Faster reporting helps law enforcement, medical examiners, and attorneys receive court-ready evidence more efficiently.

Forensic Advantage automates key processes to ensure faster results:

• Reflex testing – Agency-specific business logic can automatically trigger additional testing recommendations

• Real-time sample tracking – Improves chain of custody and reduces misplacements

• Instant digital reporting – Eliminates delays caused by manual documentation

4. Data Access & Standardization

Toxicology data must be accurate, standardized, and accessible across stakeholders, including:

• Forensic toxicologists

• Medical examiners

• Lab Management

• Law enforcement agencies

• Attorneys & courts

Forensic Advantage ensures data standardization by:

• Organization-specific business logic reporting

• Ensuring accurate and timely reporting to government agencies, including NFLIS reporting

• Providing secure on-premises and cloud-based access to case files based on configuration needs

• Allowing real-time FOIA responses through a self-service portal

These features make it easier for toxicology labs to collaborate across agencies while ensuring data integrity.

Future-Proofing Your Toxicology Lab with Forensic Advantage

As toxicology testing continues to evolve, labs need scalable and configurable solutions to keep up with:

• Increasing caseloads

• Stricter regulations

• New forensic testing methods

Forensic Advantage is built to adapt to changing needs

FA strives to work with laboratories to ensure our products are implemented in the way that makes the most sense for each one. We offer:

• Flexible deployment (on-premises or cloud-based)

• Customizable workflows for different forensic disciplines

• Secure integration with lab instruments

By modernizing lab operations, Forensic Advantage helps toxicology labs increase efficiency, maintain compliance, and improve forensic accuracy. The future of toxicology testing demands automation, accuracy, and compliance. Forensic Advantage’s LIMS and Toxicology Batch Processing provide the scalable, efficient, and regulatory-ready solutions labs need to thrive.

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Want to learn more? Explore how Forensic Advantage can transform your toxicology operations.