Toxicology
Sub-specialties: Toxicology, Alcohol analysis, Alcohol
technical defence, Drugs and driving
Toxicologists analyse body fluids and/or
tissues to establish whether drugs or poisons are present.
They have a good knowledge of human physiology and anatomy, and
detailed understanding of drugs and poisons, their natural and
manufactured forms, the way they behave and interact, and how to
detect and measure them reliably. They can be expected to undertake
any work within the field, including alcohol analyses and
'technical defences' (see below for explanation of this term) in
which some who are not registered as toxicologists specialise.
Some non-toxicologists working in this field specialise in the
analysis and interpretation of alcohol concentrations in breath and
body fluids, especially in drink/driving cases.
The subspecialty of alcohol analysis in the register denotes
those who provide statements for the courts in complex cases,
rather than those merely involving the analysis of a sample and the
issue of an unchallenged Certificate of Analysis - for example,
where there is a question about any part of the analytical cycle:
the collection, storage, integrity, preservation of samples, their
analyses or the reports made on them.
The subspecialty of alcohol technical defence includes those who
do back calculations of alcohol and analysis in cases where there
is a question about how alcohol is handled in the body of an adult,
in good health and of normal physique, who is taking no drugs which
might alter the way they handle alcohol. The term 'technical
defence' does not mean that such practitioners prepare reports only
for the defence in a court case. In all cases the duty of
registered practitioners is to the court, not to those instructing
them.
The sub-specialty 'drugs and driving' is intended to provide
registration for those who work in the narrow area of toxicology
associated only with driving under the influence of drugs. Those
registered in this sub-specialty will be involved in the analysis
of drugs in driving cases and/or provide expert evidence on the
interpretation of results in driving cases. They will have
demonstrated a high level of knowledge in the limited area of
toxicology that deals with drivers only as distinct from Forensic
Toxicologists who, in addition to being able to undertake driving
cases, will have demonstrated a high level of experience and
knowledge in a much wider range of case types involving the action
of drugs and poisons on human subjects.
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