SWGDRUG

1. SWGDRUG Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs

2. Sponsorship/Funding • Previously funded by ONDCP • Since 2006, funded by • Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Forensic Sciences • AND • National Institute of Standards and Technology

3. Mission of SWGDRUG The mission of SWGDRUG is to recommend minimum standards for the forensic examination of seized drugs and to seek their international acceptance.

4. SWGDRUG Objectives • Specifying requirements for practitioners’ knowledge, skills and abilities, • Promoting professional development, • Providing a means of information exchange within the forensic science community, • Promoting ethical standards of practitioners, • Providing minimum standards for examinations and reporting, • Establishing quality assurance requirements, • Considering relevant international standards, and • Seeking international acceptance of SWGDRUG recommendations

5. Membership • Members must be experienced and have knowledge in forensic drug analysis • Maximum of 30 – Chair, Secretariat & members • Chair is appointed by DEA Office of Forensic Sciences Deputy Assistant Administrator and must be a DEA employee • Members appointed by Chair • Chair endeavors to maintain core committee consisting of representatives from national and international forensic organizations • Appointments reside with individual and continues at discretion of Chair (not agency or affiliation appointment) • Appointments 3 years, no limitations of number of terms

6. CORE COMMITTEE • DEA – Nelson Santos (Chair) • Secretariat – Scott Oulton (non-voting) • FBI - Eileen Waninger • ASCLD – Garth Glassburg • NIST - Susan Ballou • ASTM and NEAFS- Jack Mario • Educator – Dr. Chris Tindall • Educator – Dr. Suzanne Bell

7. CORE COMMITTEE • CAC & NWAFS - Jerry Massetti • MAFS - Richard Paulas • MAAFS - Linda Jackson • SAFS – Christian Matchett • Toxicology – Dr. Robert Powers

8. CORE COMMITTEE • Canada - Richard Laing • Japan – Mr. Osamu Ohtsuru • United Kingdom - Dr. Sylvia Burns • Australia - Catherine Quinn • Germany - Dr. Udo Zerell • ENFSI - Dr. Michael Bovens • UNODC - Dr. Iphigenia Naidis

9. Meetings • Meet at least once per year, but generally meet twice depending upon available funding • SWGDRUG Members receive no compensation in lieu of salary or wages for their time spent attending meetings or working on business • Minutes are prepared and posted on the website following an appropriate comment period

10. SWGDRUG Process • The SWGDRUG process is an international forensic science community endeavor • Chair establishes subcommittees and designates Subcommittee Chairs to work on projects • Core committee reviews draft recommendations provided by subcommittees

11. SWGDRUG Process • After review, core committee conducts formal vote • Acceptance vote releases the draft recommendation for public comment for minimum of 60 days • Non-acceptance returns draft to subcommittee for further consideration • Voting - 3/4s of the full core committee must be present. 2/3s of those present must vote in the affirmative (YES) for a proposal to proceed

12. Subcommittee Process • Public comments received from draft recommendation are acknowledged and forwarded to subcommittee for review and consideration • Each comment is addressed and outcome provided to the core committee for consensus • After public comment and necessary revision(s), recommendation back to Core membership for formal vote • Acceptance released recommendation for publication • Non-acceptance returns draft to subcommitte for further consideration

13. Recommendations – 4 Parts • Part I – A Code of Professional Practice for Drug Analysts • Part II – Education and Training • Part III – Methods of Analysis • Sampling seized drug for qualitative analysis • Drug identification • Part IV – Quality Assurance • General practices • Validation of analytical methods • Uncertainty

14. Supplementary Documents • Adopted by the Core Committee in August 2005 • The supplementary documents are not SWGDRUG recommendations • Supplementary documents are intended to be a resource for those responsible for implementing SWGDRUG recommendations • These documents are not inclusive and SWGDRUG recognizes that there are many ways of implementing the recommendations • These are living documents and as such, SWGDRUG invites comments. Send your comments to swgdrug@hotmail.com

15. Approved Supplemental Documents • Supplemental Document SD-1 – For Part I “A Code of Professional Practice for Drug Analysts” • Supplemental Document SD-2 – For Part IVB “Quality Assurance/Validation of Analytical Methods”

16. Current Projects • Four Active Subcommittees • 1) Uncertainty Subcommittee • Develop Supplemental Documents • 2) Education and Training Subcommittee • Devise Comprehensive Training Program • 3) Editorial/Communications Subcommittee • Revise/Edit Current SWGDRUG Recommendations • 4) Coordination with CLIC • Developing standards for the ID of inorganics

17. Glossary • The accepted revised Glossary of terms was adopted by the Core Committee in August 2005 • The Glossary was revised to substitute with ISO terms and definitions where feasible to promote international acceptance • First sought glossaries published by recognized standardizing organizations like ISO, ASTM, IUPAC, UNDCP, and those, where possible, that are primary sources.

18. ASTM • All recommendations have been adopted/approved by ASTM with the exception of the uncertainty recommendation • The uncertainty recommendation is currently up for approval

19. Visit us at: www.swgdrug.org