Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

OSAC	Research	Needs Assessment Form

Title	of	research	need:

Keywords:

Submitting subcommittee(s): Date	Approved:

(If	SAC	review	identifies	additional	subcommittees,	add	them	to	the	box	above.)

Background	information:

1.	 Description	of	research	need:

Research	is	needed	in	the	development	of	analytical	methods	for	the	identification	and	quantitation	

of	emerging	drugs	of	abuse	and	new	therapeutic	agents	to	enhance	the	scope	of	capability	and	

knowledge	of	the	forensic	toxicology	community.	Evaluation	of	existing	and	novel	sample	

preparation	techniques	in	the	recovery	of	these	analytes	is	also	warranted.	Research	should	also	

include	epidemiological	studies,	metabolite	identification,	post-mortem	distribution	studies,	

matrices	studies,	and	pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics	studies.	

Emerging	Drugs	of	Abuse	and	Therapeutic	Agents

New	(Novel)	Psychoactive	Substances,	Therapeutic	Agents,	Designer	Drugs,	

Research	Chemicals,	Prescription	Drugs,	Prescription	Drug	Abuse

Toxicology
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

2.	 Key	bibliographic	references	relating	to	this	research	need:

3a.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	current	laboratory	capabilities?

1. New	Psychoactive	Substances	in	Europe:	An	update	from	the	EU	Early	Warning	System.	

European	Monitoring	Centre	for	Drugs	and	Drug	Addiction.	March,	2015	

http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/65/TD0415135ENN.pdf

2. National Forensic	Laboratory	Information	System-2014	Annual	Report.	U.S.	Department	of	

Justice-Drug	Enforcement	Administration-Office	of	Division	Control.	

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/nflis/NFLIS2014AR.pdf

3. Special	Report:	Synthetic	Cannabinoids	and	Synthetic	Cathinones	Reported	in	NFLIS,	2010-

2013.	U.S.	Department	of	Justice-Drug	Enforcement	Administration-Office	of	Division	

Control.	

https://www.nflis.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/DesktopModules/ReportDownloads/Reports/NF

LIS_SR_CathCan_508.pdf

4. Rogers,	J.	Rehrer,	S.	Hoot,	N.	Acetylfentanyl:	An	Emerging	Drug	of	Abuse.	The	Journal	of	

Emergency	Medicine.	In	press.	

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736467915011488

5. National	Drug	Threat	Assessment	Summary	2014.	U.S.	Department	of	Justice-Drug	

Enforcement	Administration-Office	of	Division	Control.	http://www.dea.gov/resourcecenter/dir-ndta-unclass.pdf

6. Salomone,	A.,	Gazzilli,	G.,Di	Corcia	D.,	Gerace	E.,	Vincenti,	M.	Determination	of	cathinones	and	

other	stimulant,	psychedelic,	and	dissociative	drugs	in	real	hair	samples.	Anal	Bioanal	Chem.	

2015	Dec	17.	

7. Nelson,	M.,	Bryant,	S.,	Aks,	S.	Emerging	Drugs	of	Abuse.	Emergency	Medicine	Clinics	of	North	

America.	Clinical	Toxicology.	Volume	32,	Issue	1,	February	2014,	Pages	1-28

Current	analytical	methodologies	and	instrumentation	capabilities	may	not	detect	emerging	drugs	

of	abuse	or	new	therapeutic	agents.	Forensic	cases	involving	toxicological	analysis	in	which	

compounds	go	undetected	could	have	an	impact	on	case	adjudication	regardless	if	it	is	antemortem (DUID,	OUI,	DFSA,	probation/parole,	etc.)	or	post-mortem	(cause/factor	of	death)	analysis.	
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

3b.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	understanding	of	the	scientific	basis	for	the	

subcommittee(s)?

3c.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	services	to	the	criminal	justice	system?

4.		Status assessment	(I,	II,	III,	or	IV):		 Major gap	

in	current	

knowledge

Minor gap	

in	current	

knowledge

No	or	limited

current	research	

is	being	

conducted

I III

Existing current	

research	is	being	

conducted

II IV

Results	of	research	studies	focused	on	emerging	drugs	of	abuse	and	new	therapeutic	agents	would	

not	only	contribute	to	the	improved	understanding	of	the	scientific	basis	of	the	Toxicology	

subcommittee	but	also	the	forensic	toxicology	community.	The	following	are	how	each	of	the	

subcategories	would	impact	the	community:	

Identify	emerging	drugs	of	abuse/therapeutic	agents	that	are	not	currently	included	in	

testing	panels.

Develop	and	optimize	sample	preparation	techniques	that	could	be	used	by	the	forensic

toxicology	community.

Metabolite	identification	for	history	of	drug	use	when	the	parent	compound	is	no	longer	

detected.

Different	matrices	may	be	analyzed	in	the	subcategories	of	forensic	toxicological	testing.	

Understanding	the	variability	of	results	is	important	and	will	impact	how	results	are	interpreted.

Pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetic	information	is	often	completely	lacking	on	emerging	

drugs	of	abuse	and	may	be	unknown	for	new	therapeutic	agents	as	it	applies	to	subcategories	of	

testing	(i.e.	postmortem	analysis,	human	performance	testing,	etc.).

Epidemiological	studies	should	be	conducted.	

This	research	would	have	direct	impact	on	the	criminal	justice	system	with	regard	to	cases	

involving	driving	while	impaired	or	under	the	influence,	drug	facilitated	crimes,	probation/parole	

violations	and	rulings	on	the	cause/factors	of	death.	Accuracy	and	thoroughness	of	testing	provides	

a	more	complete	understanding	of	the	factors	relating	to	a	crime	and/or	death.	

I
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

This	research	need	has	been	identified	by	one	or	more	subcommittees	of	OSAC	and	is	being	provided	as	an	

informational	resource	to	the	community.

// Approval	date:

(Approval	is	by	majority	vote	of	subcommittee.		Once	approved,	forward	to	SAC.)

1.		Does	the	SAC	agree	with	the	research	need?				Yes					 							No							⃝		

2.		Does the	SAC	agree	with	the	status	assessment?				Yes															No							⃝	

If	no,	what	is	the	status assessment	of	the	SAC:

Approval	date:

(Approval	is	by	majority	vote	of	SAC.		Once	approved,	forward	to	NIST	for	posting.)

Subcommittee

SAC