BROWARD COUNTY, FL - The Toxicology Laboratory of the Broward County Office of Medical Examiner & Trauma Services (OMETS) has been granted accreditation by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) in the field of Forensic Toxicology Testing.

ANAB grants accreditation status in a variety of forensic science disciplines based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. These standards are operational guidelines compiled by internationally recognized experts. Accreditation is the culmination of the laboratory demonstrating conformance to the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Requirements include completion of a multi-part item assessment checklist, review of laboratory quality management system documentation, self-audits and laboratory operating procedures with an onsite inspection concluding with the ANAB inspectors report. 

Accreditation works through multiple layers of accountability and oversight and demonstrates to customers of the OMETS Toxicology Laboratory (medical examiners, law enforcement agencies, attorneys and family members) that the laboratory operations required to consistently produce accurate, reproducible and traceable toxicological data are verified. Achieving accreditation is the result of an extensive commitment of resources and much preparation by the management and personnel of the entire organization including quality improvement and internal evaluations.

The ANAB Accreditation returns the Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services to full accreditation status by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME).