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Analysis of toxic substances
Laboratory of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology,Faculty of Medicine,Aristotle University
Greece

The Problem

Existed laws about workplace drug testing for professional drivers, candidates for employment at security services and employees at prostitutes’ houses could not be applied. Also there was need for determination of heavy metal e.g. copper, lead, cadmium etc for certain diseases like Wilson, lead poisoning etc. Additionally there was necessity for the determination of the levels of certain drugs and toxic substances in clinical samples in poisoning cases.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
After the implementation of the toxicological analysis for workplace drug testing, the law about certain professions could be applied in all its dimensions. The programme has assisted in diagnosis in poisoning cases and certain diseases. Also helps for the follow up e.g. in lead poisoning, Wilson disease etc. The programme can offer information in citizens confidentially for drug abusing.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
The stuff of the toxicology department of the Lab. of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki proposed and implemented the programme. Additionally, no personal payment is predicted for the stuff.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
The main scope of the programme was the application of toxicological analysis in fields where existed void (workplace drug testing, clinical samples from poisoning cases etc). The scientific and technical stuff of the toxicology department had the appropriate knowledge and experience to carry out the laboratorial and administrative work of the programme.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
The programme began in 1989 having as basic equipment two gas chromatographs (one with FID detector and the other with NPD detector), two HPLC with UV detection and an immunology analyzer. Except of the above mentioned techniques, the Thin Layer Chromatography had wide application in toxicological analysis.
Initially the number of the samples was not so big, but in the middle of nineties was increased very much. The last year we succeeded to obtain a GC-MS.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
The main problem that we encountered was the lack of modern equipment (e.g. GC-MS, LC-MS) and finally the last year we succeeded to obtain a GC-MS. This lack had as a result longer times for the toxicological analysis. Another obstacle was the very big number of the samples and in combination with the lack of adequate scientific personnel the workload is very heavy.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, hospitals and the individuals are the financiers of the programme. The money is used only for consumables (reagents, standards etc), the maintainance of equipment and renewal of the departments of the basic equipment (nothing for personal payment). The budget of the programme since 1989 is above 1 million euros.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
This programme succeeded to survive since 1989, and has an upward course.
This is shown by the continuously increasing number of samples. There are projects to apply the programme to the determination of xenobitics in non conventional biological samples (e.g. hair analysis) because there is necessity for this (for example hair analysis is the best method to find out the past use of drugs of abuse).

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The longevity, the high budget and the service of big number of citizens and certain professions show the success of the programme.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Laboratory of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology,Faculty of Medicine,Aristotle University
Institution Type:   Academia  
Contact Person:   Heleni Tsoukali
Title:   Professor  
Telephone/ Fax:   00302310999221
Institution's / Project's Website:   00302310999216
E-mail:   elpa@med.auth.gr  
Address:   Laboratory of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine,Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Postal Code:   54124
City:   Thessaloniki
State/Province:  
Country:   Greece

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