Standard Toxicology Drug Screens

Toxicology drug screening can be done with a urine sample however this is not always possible in a post-mortem setting due to decomposition. Metabolites, the broken-down particulates of drugs are detected in the urine and liver rarely the drug itself. With urine samples, this will only indicate the substance was consumed several days before death. Standard testing is typically done on liver samples. Although blood and stomach contents can also be used in some instances. What are standard tox screens looking for?

Alcohol

Analgesics – such as paracetamol and aspirin

Antidepressants – such as fluoxetine, sertraline, and citalopram

Antihistamines

Antipsychotics

Benzodiazepines – including Valium and Xanax

Cannabis

Cardiovascular drugs – such as beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers

Cocaine

Narcotic Analgesics – such as morphine, heroin, codeine, hydrocodone, and fentanyl

Stimulants – such as caffeine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and MDMA