United States Park Police Police Chief's Certificate of Appreciation Award

In October, the Forensic Toxicology Department at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner received a Chief’s Certificate of Appreciation for providing the United States Parks Police (USPP) with specialized services in support of their impaired driver enforcement program. The Toxicology Department has analyzed over 1200 blood evidence samples in the past four years, aiding the USPP in the prosecution of impaired drivers throughout the Washington Regional Area.

OCME Forensic Toxicologist Attend SOFT 2010 Annual

OCME Forensic Toxicologists recently attended the 2010 Society of Forensic Toxicology  (SOFT) Meeting in Richmond, Virginia.  During the week long meeting, the toxicologists attended scientific seminars, poster sessions, and workshops pertaining to recent trends and issues in forensic toxicology.  All toxicologists received certificates of training for their corresponding workshops.  These certificates help the laboratory meet requirements for a continuing education program (required by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology) and enhance the laboratories credibility in the human performance and post-mortem toxicology training.  Certificates were obtained for the following subjects:

Marijuana Pharmacology – Practical Applications for the Forensic Toxicologist DFSA Applications and Interpretations
Elemental Analysis and Interpretation of Findings
To Err is Human… to Identify is Devine (Quality Control Review)
Getting the Most from ELISA: Tips and Tricks for the Professional Toxicologist Piperazines, Designer Amphetamines and Tryptamines
Tools for DYI Methods Validation.

Scott Larson, MS certified FTS-ABFT
OCME Lead Toxicologist Scott Larson took the ABFT examination on October 19, 2010 and received notification that he has passed the examination.  This will officially certify Mr. Larson as a Forensic Toxicology Specialist and enhances his personal credibility in the field of forensic toxicology.