1. Unique case identifier on each page of report (such as lab number)
2. Title of the report (such as “report of laboratory analysis”)
3. Identification of the laboratory
4. Submitting Agency Info or at a minimum submitting agency
5. List or explanation of items examined
6. General indication of methodology utilized
7. Results/conclusions
8. Date report issued
9. Signature and title of examiner (or electronic equivalent)
10. Pagination of the report (example page 1 of 2 etc.)
11. Statement regarding the report does not constitute the entire case file or equivalent
12. Statement that definitions of terms used in the report can be located at the DCJS website and if applicable on the laboratory website or attached to report

Additional Discipline Specific Report Components:

13. It is recommended that the laboratory report include the estimated uncertainty for all reported measurements, but at a minimum the laboratory shall report the estimated uncertainty when it impacts evaluation of a specification limit stated by a regulatory body, a statute, case law or other legal requirement. The measurement uncertainty value will be expressed as an expanded uncertainty and include the coverage probability expressed in percent. Uncertainty is not required for unanalyzed items that are not associated with a sampling plan.

Positive

Circumstance:
Analysis performed-fulfills the criteria for reporting a particular analyte or class of compounds as defined in the laboratory’s SOP.

Reporting Language:
“Contains [substance]” or name the substance.

Examples:

• Item 1 contains cocaine.
• Item 1: Cocaine.

Negative

Circumstance:
Analysis performed-fulfills the criteria for reporting the absence of a controlled substance as defined in the laboratory’s SOP [i.e., little to no response from the instrument or the response from the instrument did not fulfill laboratory identification criteria].

Reporting Language:
“No controlled substances identified”

Examples:

• No controlled substances identified in Item 1.
• Item 1: No controlled substances were identified.

No Analysis

Circumstance:
Analysis is not performed.

Reporting Language:
“No analysis”

Examples:

• No analysis was performed on Item 1.
• Item 1: No analysis.

Preliminary Result

1. Circumstance:
   The laboratory’s minimum criteria for a positive or negative result is not fulfilled due to incomplete testing [i.e., specimen was not compared to a controlled substance reference material] and a statement is being reported about a particular analyte or class of compounds. The reporting language must clearly state that the result(s) have not been confirmed. In some cases,a preliminary report may be issued.
   
   Reporting Language:
   “Not confirmed”
   To be used in conjunction with “indicate” qualifier. See example below.
2. Circumstance:
   The laboratory’s minimum criteria for a positive or negative result is not fulfilled due to incomplete testing [i.e., specimen was not compared to a controlled substance reference material] and statement is not being reported about a particular analyte or class of compounds.
   
   Reporting Language:
   “Initial examination only. The presence or absence of a controlled substance was not confirmed.”

Qualifying Statements

When a statement is reported about a particular analyte or class of compounds in the absence of confirmatory testing (ex. pharmaceutical identifiers or color tests only), the laboratory must issue a qualifier using the term “indicate.”

Example:
Item 1: Pharmaceutical identification indicates 1 milligram of alprazolam per tablet. Alprazolam was not confirmed.

When a preliminary result is reported due to unavailability of reference material, a qualifying statement must detail the reason for incomplete testing.

Example:
XLR-11 is indicated in Item 1. XLR-11 was not confirmed because the laboratory does not possess a suitable reference material for confirmation.

When tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is reported in items containing no plant material or plant material not consistent with Marihuana, the laboratory must use a qualifier indicating that the origin (synthetic or Marihuana) cannot be determined.

Example:
Item 1 contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).  It cannot be determined if the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is from Marihuana or synthetic in origin.  Aggregate Weight: 12.57 grams.

Methodology

• When an instrumental technique is used to confirm the qualitative result(whether positive or negative), the technique(s) must be specified (i.e., GasChromatography – Mass Spectrometry [GCMS]).
• When an instrumental technique is used to arrive at a preliminary result only,the technique(s) must be specified [i.e., Gas Chromatography – MassSpectrometry (GCMS)].
• When reporting a qualitative result in the absence of an instrumental technique (whether positive, negative or preliminary), the technique(s) used to determine the result must be specified (i.e., microscopic analysis, color test,thin layer chromatography).
• When the quantity or purity of a substance is reported (other than for aggregate weight determination), the instrumental technique used for quantitative analysis [i.e., High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)]must be specified.
• All other information on aggregate weight determination and specific equipment / instrumentation used must be in the case record (i.e., analytical balances, etc.)

Sampling (if applicable)

A reference to the sampling plan used by the laboratory will be reported.

 

Controlled Substance
Substance(s) listed in the New York State Public Health Law Article 33 Section 3306.

Abbreviations of instrumentation used:

1. GC – Gas Chromatography
2. FID – Flame Ionization Detection
3. MS – Mass Spectrometry
4. LC – Liquid Chromatography
5. UPLC – Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography
6. HPLC – High Performance (formerly High Pressure) Liquid Chromatography
7. DAD – Diode Array Detection
8. FTIR – Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
9. TLC – Thin Layer Chromatography
10. IR – Infrared Spectroscopy
11. UV/Vis – Ultraviolet/Visual Spectroscopy
12. IA – Immunoassay
13. NPD – Nitrogen Phosphorus Detection
14. ECD – Electron Capture Detection
15. AA – Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry
16. TOF – Time of Flight
17. DART – Direct Analysis in Real Time
18. Raman – Raman Spectroscopy

Analytical instruments that use multiple technologies in tandem are indicated by a combination of the abbreviations listed above, for example gas chromatography/mass spectrometry may be abbreviated GCMS, GC/MS or GC-MS.

Contains or name the substance
Analysis performed-fulfills the criteria for reporting a particular analyte or class of compounds as defined in the laboratory’s SOP.

No controlled substances identified
Analysis performed-fulfills the criteria for reporting the absence of a controlled substance as defined in the laboratory’s SOP.

Not confirmed
The laboratory’s minimum criterion for reporting a positive or negative result was not fulfilled due to incomplete testing.

Indicate
The laboratory did not fulfill the minimum criteria for reporting a positive identification.

Residue
An amount (weight/volume) of material that is below the measurement uncertainty (MU), below the minimum sample quantity (MSQ) or unable to be measured at the discretion of the analyst.