Household Court docket’s are in an actual rush to shut care proceedings inside 6 months. So when a Choose arms you a courtroom order, the very last thing you wish to do is flip round and say “now what do I do?”.
The benefit of courtroom orders is that they include just about all the data you want when requesting a hair drug check. It’s largely a matter of studying from the courtroom order to reply the questions from a drug testing laboratory to allow them to offer you a quote.
Nevertheless, it’s vital to do not forget that you’re the one within the driving seat, and it’s not a case of merely asking “Are you able to do a hair drug check to examine for cocaine use within the final 3 months?”. There is a bit extra to it than that.
The outcomes of the check could be the distinction between a guardian gaining or shedding entry to their little one. It is advisable take this chance to evaluate whether or not a laboratory is actually certified to hold out the hair drug check and may produce outcomes that can maintain up in courtroom as proof.
Right here’s 5 questions you might want to ask a hair drug testing lab when requesting a check.
1) What’s your expertise with hair drug testing?
Completely different labs have various quantities of expertise with hair drug testing. There are some labs which have solely been within the trade for a number of years, and there are others like Cansford Laboratories who’ve been within the trade for over 20 years.
Hair drug testing strategies have developed considerably over time. Drug testing labs who’ve been within the trade a very long time and have carried out a major quantity of exams usually tend to have seen or been concerned with the event of latest testing methods that ship larger accuracy in drug testing. They’re additionally extra more likely to have seen the errors being made within the trade and have learnt find out how to keep away from them.
But, expertise in drug testing shouldn’t be tied solely to size of time within the trade. Household courtroom circumstances range from case to case, and every case has its personal particular circumstances that always complicate issues. That’s why you might want to think about a drug testing lab’s expertise throughout totally different case varieties providing you with confidence that they’ll deal with the specifics of your case.
2) Has your drug testing process ever been challenged in courtroom?
There’s no level working with a lab that has 10 years’ expertise within the trade if half of the exams they’ve carried out have been challenged in courtroom.
The hair drug testing process could be very delicate, and there are many alternatives for issues to go flawed. It is advisable just remember to work with a lab that is ready to shield the integrity of the hair pattern proper all through the method, and produce outcomes that may maintain up in courtroom.
3) Do you’ve gotten UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for the drug(s) the courtroom has ordered testing for?
Many labs within the UK are topic to detailed scrutiny to realize accreditation in drug testing. The UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the only real nationwide accreditation physique for the UK.
UKAS is recognised by the federal government to evaluate towards internationally agreed requirements, organisations that present certification, testing, inspection and calibration providers.
Some of the important accreditations a drug testing lab ought to maintain is the ISO/IEC 17025. Primarily, the ISO/IEC 17025 comprises the final necessities to be met by laboratories to reveal they preserve an satisfactory high quality assurance system for the exams they conduct.
Nevertheless, a lab that claims to be ISO/IEC 17025 accredited might solely be accredited to check for particular drug teams and never others. For instance, a lab could also be accredited particular drug teams i.e. cocaine group (Benzoylecgonine, Cocaine and many others.) however not different drug teams.
It is advisable be sure that the lab is accredited to check for all the medication {that a} courtroom has ordered testing for.
4) Do you take part in any proficiency schemes?
Labs which are signed as much as proficiency schemes are usually assessed to make sure their testing procedures are as much as scratch.
As a part of these schemes, the check supplier will ship a collection of collaborating labs a pattern (hair, urine and many others.) with the identical chemical composition and ask every lab to check the pattern and compile a report.
Every lab is then assessed on their accuracy in evaluation, the outcomes of which might help labs to establish areas inside their procedures the place they’ll enhance and enhance the standard of their testing process.
5) How profitable has your participation in these proficiency schemes been?
The place a lab participates in a proficiency scheme, the development you wish to see is a rise in accuracy of their findings with every check.
This demonstrates that the lab is studying from their errors and actively making an attempt to enhance their testing procedures, providing you with assurances that they’re extra more likely to produce check outcomes that may maintain up in courtroom as proof.
Finally, choosing the proper lab to conduct a hair drug check can have vital and severe implications on your case and your shopper. Begin taking the mandatory steps to search out out if a lab is actually certified to hold out a professional hair strand drug check, by asking the questions mentioned above. Bear in mind, it’s not simply your shopper you must take into consideration, nevertheless it may be the welfare of a kid in danger.
