Our clinical proficiency testing schemes, or external quality assessment schemes, deal principally in the area of drug monitoring, whether of deliberately administered drugs for therapeutic purposes, toxic drugs deliberately or accidentally ingested which could cause harm, or drugs of abuse which may be analysed for clinically significant levels or for workplace monitoring.

Categories Available:

Clinical Laboratory (CLS)

LGC Clinical Microbiology Laboratory (CLS) scheme is designed for laboratories performing microbiological analysis of clinical samples and provides an independent assessment of measurement quality. The CLS scheme also provides information to participants on technical issues and methodologies relating to Clinical Microbiology.

Drugs of Abuse in Hair (DAH)

The Drugs of Abuse in Hair (DAH) scheme we provide is suitable for laboratories performing forensic analysis of hair for drugs of abuse and provides an independent assessment of measurement quality.

Drugs of Abuse in Oral Fluid (DOF)

Drugs in Oral Fluid (DOF) scheme provides performance assessment for laboratories and clinics who provide analytical services for drugs in oral fluid. Samples are provided as real human oral fluid. Advances in technology have enabled oral fluid testing for the presence of many drugs; oral fluid collection is often less invasive, relatively easy to perform and, in forensic situations, can be achieved under close supervision to prevent adulteration or substitution of the samples.

Drugs of Abuse in Urine (DAU)

Drugs of Abuse in Urine (DAU) scheme is designed to provide an independent performance assessment of laboratories and clinics that provide routine services for detection of drugs of abuse in urine.

Immunosuppressant (IPT)

Immunosuppressant (IPT) proficiency testing scheme provides independent performance assessment for laboratories performing quantification of immunosuppressant drugs in blood and plasma. Immunosuppressant drugs are a class of drugs that suppress, or reduce, the strength of the body’s immune system. In addition to being used to prevent organ rejection, they are often used to treat autoimmune disorders such as lupus, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Therapeutic Drugs (TDM)

Therapeutic Drugs Monitoring (TDM) proficiency testing scheme provides independent performance assessment for the routine quantification of a wide range of anti-epileptic and other therapeutic drugs. TDM is a measurement of specific drug concentration levels at timed intervals in patients, usually through blood/serum samples, and is necessary where control of drug concentrations is required to achieve optimum treatment for the patient, or where there is a narrow range between the therapeutic and toxic levels.

Therapeutic Drugs-Antibiotics and Anti-fungal (ANTIBIOTICS)

Therapeutic Drugs Monitoring - Antibiotics (ANTIBIOTICS) proficiency testing scheme provides independent performance assessment for the routine quantification of a wide range of antibiotics. Therapeutic drug monitoring is a measurement of specific drug concentration levels at timed intervals in patients, usually through blood/serum samples, and is necessary where control of drug concentrations is required to achieve optimum treatment for the patient, or where there is a narrow range between the therapeutic and toxic levels.

Toxicology (TOX) - Clinical

The LGC Toxicology (TOX) proficiency testing scheme we offer is designed to provide an independent performance assessment of laboratories undertaking clinical and/or forensic toxicological analytical services. Toxicological analyses may be undertaken on biological specimens, predominantly blood, serum and urine. In general, analyses are undertaken for a range of substances including prescription and non-prescription drugs, illicit drugs and alcohol.

Forensic Blood Toxicology (QUARTZ)

QUARTZ offers the choice of a number of test materials, comprising blood and urine spiked with drugs and metabolites. Case scenarios provided for interpretation include sudden and suspicious deaths, drug-facilitated sexual assaults (DFSA), impaired driving and other relevant cases.