UTAK Laboratories Announce Release of Expanded Quality Control Panels for Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates

Newswise — UTAK Laboratories, Inc., the leading diagnostics manufacturer solely focused on quality controls, announced today the release of expanded Quality Control Panels for Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates used in drug screening. “Through analysis of orders for our custom products, we noticed a trend that laboratories are requesting extensive panels of these controls, all in a single bottle, for ease of use with mass spectrometry or clinical chemistry methodologies,” said Jim Plutchak, CEO of UTAK.

Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates are classes of psychoactive central nervous system stimulants, tranquilizers and sedatives prescribed to treat conditions ranging from narcolepsy to attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and insomnia; but misuse can lead to addiction. According to the latest Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) national survey on drug use, prescription drug abuse is an epidemic with over 2.2 million persons ages 12 or older using these psychotherapeutics non-medically for the first time in the past year.1 Specifically, the number of nonmedical use initiates were 1.4 million for tranquilizers, 676,000 for stimulants and 166,000 for sedatives.1 Testing for prescription drugs demands accuracy so the patient can receive the best possible care.

“We join our laboratory customers in being Control Freaks who seek perfection and are obsessed with making sure results are correct and anchored in third party quality controls,” said Mr. Plutchak. ISO accreditation guidelines note that independent third party quality controls should be used instead of, or in addition to, any control materials supplied by the reagent or instrument manufacturer.2 For use with any methodology, UTAK’s stock and custom quality controls are handcrafted in Valencia, CA and sold to toxicology and clinical laboratories globally. For more information on UTAK’s expanded Quality Control Panels for Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates and to request a free evaluation sample, visit: www.utak.com

Control Freaks® is a registered trademark of UTAK Laboratories, Inc.

Reference: 1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-46, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 13-4795. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2013.2. International Standard: Medical Laboratories – Requirements for Quality and Competence. ISO 15189:2012(E)ss5.6.2.2 About UTAK Laboratories, Inc.

Founded in 1973, UTAK Laboratories, Incorporated is a recognized market leader of handcrafted quality control products used for analytical measurement in forensic and clinical laboratories. UTAK offers hundreds of stock and custom serum, whole blood, urine and oral fluids controls for use with any methodology, on any testing platform. Headquartered in Valencia, CA, UTAK serves clients globally, including many top university hospitals, government facilities, forensic and research laboratories. ISO-certified, UTAK is family-owned and renowned for its quality products and personalized customer service. For further information and to request a free evaluation sample, visit: www.utak.com.

Tags: UTAK Labs, Control Freaks, Laboratory Controls, Drugs of Abuse, Toxicology, Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates, Quality Controls, Third Party QC, 3rd Party Custom QCs, Jim Plutchak, Valencia CA