Drugs of abuse in urine scheme (DAU)

UKAS accredited proficiency testing scheme
External Quality Assessment (EQA) designed for laboratories and on-site screening clinics that provide routine services for detection of drugs of abuse in urine
Participants receive sets of three test materials at quarterly intervals
Test materials consist of either 5ml or 15ml aliquots of freeze-dried urine
Mixtures of drugs with their metabolites from 6 major classes:-
- Amfetamines & stimulants
- Cannabinoids
- Cocaine & metabolites
- Minor tranquillizers
- Non-opiate narcotics
- Opiates
Participants select to make their reports relative to one of two sets of threshold drug concentrations
-First, are cut-offs specified by the scheme as appropriate for routine clinical investigations
-Second and more rigorous set of thresholds are those defined in the European Laboratory Guidelines for Legally Defensible Workplace Drug Testing version 1.0, 2002
Performance of U.K. participants involved in patient care is reported to the National Quality Assurance Advisory Panel for Chemical Pathology
Scheme operates from April to March