History

The American Board of Forensic Toxicology, Inc. (ABFT) was formed in 1975 to certify forensic toxicologists whose role included the interpretation of drug test results, generally at a doctoral level. In the early 1990s, the ABFT was asked to develop a laboratory accreditation program for forensic toxicology laboratories involved in postmortem toxicology and/or human performance testing (including, but not limited to, driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) and drug facilitated crime (DFC)). Those standards were based, in part, on the SOFT/AAFS toxicology section forensic laboratory guidelines, the de facto standards that were first published in 1991 and then adopted by mail ballot of the overwhelming majority of the SOFT and AAFS toxicology section membership. The current ABFT standards were adopted in 2013, having been periodically updated since 1996. The first laboratory accredited by ABFT in 1997 was the State of Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Toxicology Laboratory.

ABFT Ceasing Laboratory Accreditation Activities

Over the past few years, it has been increasingly difficult for the ABFT to maintain a laboratory accreditation program as a nonprofit volunteer organization, particularly in consideration of the increasing demand for laboratories to comply with the internationally recognized ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory standards. Therefore, in 2019, the ABFT entered into an alliance agreement with ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board, LLC) to assess laboratories against the ABFT checklist/standards as a voluntary supplement to those of ISO/IEC 17025. In concordance with the agreement, the ABFT will no longer accredit or reaccredit forensic toxicology laboratories after December 31, 2022. Laboratories in good standing with the ABFT will maintain their existing accreditation until it expires, normally 2 years after it was conferred, to include the usual mid-cycle proficiency tests review. That period will allow time for laboratories to prepare to meet the ISO/IEC 17025 standards. The ABFT will maintain the ABFT accreditation checklist/standards until at least 2027.

Please contact the ABFT Laboratory Accreditation Committee chair, Graham Jones, Ph.D., if you have any questions.