Our Expertise

Toxicology and Drug Research at ADC

Our Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Research department studies how chemical substances affect the human body, with a focus on the unwanted and harmful effects.

The work runs from food safety checks to forensic investigations for the Public Prosecutor, and supports treating physicians, the Curaçao Medicines Registration Committee and producers across the island.

What We Do

From forensics to food safety: widely applicable toxicological expertise We carry out analytical-chemical and bioanalytical research for a diverse range of applications:

Judicial and forensic investigation

Support in police and judicial matters, including alcohol and drug tests in blood and urine, toxin screenings and post-mortem toxicology.

Clinical toxicological and pharmaceutical research

  • Clinical toxicology. Supports treating physicians when a patient has been exposed to an unknown substance or to too much of a known one. The panel covers common medicines and drugs of abuse, with substance and concentration reported.
  • Forensic investigation. At the request of the police, customs and the Public Prosecutor, we test for substances listed under the Opium Country Ordinance of 1960, primarily drugs.
  • Pharmaceutical analysis. Supports the Curaçao Medicines Registration Committee’s review of new medicines, with analysis of pharmacy-compounded preparations and pharmaceutical raw materials.
  • Therapeutic drug monitoring. Measures medicine concentration in body material so the prescribing doctor can fine-tune the dose. Used in epilepsy, manic depression and rejection prevention after transplantation, among others.
  • Product testing and food safety. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of substances such as methanol, acetone, bitrex and tert-butyl alcohol, plus ethanol content in alcoholic beverages.
  • Soil analysis. Physical-chemical work and metals analysis on soil samples.
  • Nutrition table values. Verifying the average values of nutrients in a product against independent national and international datasets, and analysing the composition of nutrients on request.

Drug and supplement research

Detection of banned or undeclared substances in dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals and herbal preparations.

Food safety & product research

Screening for contaminants in foods to protect public health and comply with legislation. We also test for alcohol content in alcoholic beverages and hand sanitizers.

Environmental and soil investigation

Analysis of soil, water and nutrition for toxic substances, heavy metals and pesticide residues.

Toxicology

Drug and alcohol testing

For businesses, individuals and sports organizations

We offer professional drug and alcohol testing to support safety, health and performance policies. Our services include:

Advice and support

Our toxicologists and researchers support healthcare providers, government departments, judicial authorities and companies with interpretation of results, risk analyses and advice. We also offer custom research on commission.

For whom?

Our services are intended for:

Need research on drug use, supplement safety, chemical contamination or substance abuse? ADC will help you further, even if you are not a healthcare institution.

Why ADC?

Want to know more?

Would you like more information or submit a request for research? Contact ADC or discuss this with your doctor, inspection service, employer or sports organization. We are happy to think along with you.

The full scope of accreditation is on rva.nl under registration number M297.