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About Us

AUSTOX is a unique organisation in which participants are encouraged to analyse monthly specimens, two thirds of which are real patient samples containing drugs and/or their metabolites in realistic concentrations. Up to one third of specimens are spiked with drugs at known concentrations so that participants can determine their detection limits and consistency in reporting. Participants gain a fast turnaround time for results enabling them to identify problems at an early stage.

AUSTOX is a forum for the exchange of ideas and for sharing knowledge with national and international subscribers.

AUSTOX is open to all laboratories conducting forensic or clinical drugs of abuse testing.

Who Uses AUSTOX

  • Anyone who is interested in improving the quality of their drug testing
  • People interested in communicating with their peers about drug testing issues
  • Major state reference laboratories throughout Australia
  • Public hospital laboratories
  • Private testing laboratories
  • Forensic laboratories
  • Laboratories in the Asia-Pacific region

What does AUSTOX offer

  • An annual two day workshop for discussing results and problems in identifying drugs and metabolites. The meeting features invited speakers who are world experts in their field.
  • Inclusion of commonly prescribed or abused therapeutic drugs.
  • Rapid turnaround time for results - included in the next month's samples.
  • Group results by methodology.
  • Histograms of quantitative results for those laboratories reporting medico-legal results.
  • 33 challenges per year - 3 per month from February to December.

Joining the AUSTOX Programme

If you would like information about joining AUSTOX, click here for an email fill-in form