Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, the student will be able to:

• Attain a working knowledge of how to successfully complete this course online.
• Define the role of a forensic toxicologist and list the objectives that such a scientist would have to be successful.
• Review and briefly describe the historical events and developments that led to the development of the science of forensic toxicology.
• Describe what tissues and fluids are used for drug screening in forensic toxicology.
• List advantages and disadvantages associated with each tissue and fluid.
• Explain how drugs are extracted from tissues and fluids in preparation for screening, confirmation, and quantitation.
• Demonstrate the proper choice of tissues and fluids for specific case studies.
• Describe the basic principles behind immunoassay drug screening.
• Identify the strengths and limitations of six specific immunoassay techniques utilized in forensic toxicology.
• Write a short essay (at least 300 words) on how you would use one of the specific techniques in a post-mortem investigation involving a single drug. Describe how you would overcome the limitations, account for the cross-reactivity, and discuss how the assay cut-off levels affect your conclusions.
• Identify the main instrumental drug screening techniques utilized in forensic toxicology.
• Describe the basic operating principles and characteristics of each instrument.
• Give two specific examples of how a technique/instrument could be utilized to screen for a particular drug or class of drugs.
• Identify and explain the main drug identification and quantitation techniques, along with associated instrumentation, utilized in forensic toxicology.
• Describe the basic operating principles and characteristics of each instrument.
• Explain how to quantify a drug in blood.
• List the five main topics that must be covered in a quality assurance program for a forensic toxicology lab, and explain what role each plays in the program.
• Describe how to carry out method development for both qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Demonstrate the use of a quality control chart, including the ramifications in a forensic toxicology lab.
• Describe the science of pharmacokinetics.
• Differentiate pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacology.
• Compare the effects of CNS depressants and CNS stimulants.
• Describe the four main categories of drugs based upon their separation from biological matrices and demonstrate how they form a comprehensive toxicologic analysis. Place each of the following drug or drug class in one of the four drug types and then give a brief overview of each drug or drug category including at least each of the following topics: historical use and availability, analytical considerations, toxicological characteristics, pharmacological properties.
• Barbiturates
• Antidepressants
• Morphine
• Develop a systematic approach to qualitative and quantitative drug screening.
• Contrast in tabular form the following characteristics for each of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine: chemical properties, analytical considerations, uses, how it works, effects on the body, toxicity (define a toxic level), and adverse effects.
• Prepare a report on Marijuana covering at least the following topics: history, what is it, how is it used, chemical properties, analytical considerations, effects on the body, and blood level interpretive difficulties.
• Give a brief overview of each of the following drugs, drug classes or chemicals including at least each of the following topics: historical use and availability, analytical considerations, toxicological characteristics, pharmacological properties: inhalants, anaesthetics, hallucinogens, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, lead, ethylene glycol, and pesticides.
• Contrast the 'Club Drugs' versus the 'Date Rape Drugs' utilizing the following headings: what are they, how did they evolve, how are they utilized, analytical considerations, toxicological characteristics, and pharmacological properties.
• Summarize each of the 12 steps of the DRE Program and construct a matrix, which relates the seven impairing-drug classes to the data collected in the 12 steps.
• List limitations and pitfalls when predicting the effects of drug concentrations on a living person, especially when considering what role it may play in a person's death.

Effective as of Winter 2005