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Before a laboratory can conduct drug testing or drug testing confirmation in the US, it must first receive accreditation or certification from a federal body. These federal bodies can certify both US and international laboratories to perform drug testing according to US standards.
Who issues Certification?
In the US, there are three federal bodies that issue certification for drug testing centers and those are: the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Each state and some municipalities have their own accreditation and certification programs for drug testing centers and you can find a directory of those programs here.
Department of Health and Human Services - The DHHS issues certification for both domestic and foreign Laboratories and Instrumented Initial Testing Facilities. In order to get DHHS certification, these labs and testing centers must meet the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing. While the DHHS sets the standards to meet, the actual accreditation process is handled by SAMHSA. Laboratories and testing centers that have received DHHS accreditation can perform drug testing for the Department of Transportation (DOT) or any other federal agency.
College of American Pathologists - CAP accreditation can be obtained by laboratories and testing centers that perform confirmation drug testing on urine, oral fluid, and hair for non-medical purposes like workplace drug testing, for example. CAP accreditation is internationally recognized.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - SAMHSA is an agency of the DHHS and it is responsible for the certification of drug testing laboratories that meet the proper standards for conducting federally regulated urine drug testing.
SAMHSA runs the National Laboratory Certification Program (NLCP), which includes comprehensive performance testing and laboratory inspections for facilities looking to be certified. To become certified, a laboratory must successfully test 3 rounds of samples provided to the lab by SAMHSA and the organization uses the test results from these 3 samples to judge the lab's competency.
The lab must also successfully undergo a laboratory inspection that occurs at the time the third sets of test samples are being tested. The lab is then inspected again 3 months after achieving certification. To maintain its certification, a laboratory must participate in and satisfy the requirements for SAMHSA's ongoing performance testing program and inspections.
The NLCP applies only to urine drug testing, and only for testing for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and phencyclidine. It does not include evaluation or assessment of a laboratory's capabilities for testing other drugs like barbiturates, benzodiazepines, synthetic narcotics and opioids.
How do I find An Accredited or Certified Drug Testing Center?
SAMHSA keeps a record of all the certified drug testing centers in the US and you can find that list here.
The list is in PDF format and has all labs listed alphabetically, as well as labs listed by state and an archived list of accredited and certified labs.
To find a CAP accredited laboratory, go to this page on the CAP website.