Question

The Federal government has classified controlled substances into different schedules. What are the variables the government considered to establish the scheduling method (e.g. how are the schedules determined?) and some major differences between each schedule?

Also what is Forensic Toxicology and the roles and responsibilities of the Forensic Toxicologist?

Answer 1

Controlled substance act is the law that indicate the manufacture, importation, processing, use and distribution of various drugs or substance in the US. This is regulated by food and drug administration and drug enforcement administration. In this act the drugs are classified into 5 schedule. The classification is based on the drugs abuse rate and their potential physical and psychosocial dependence .

Variables for determining scheduling drugs inclide

:medical acceptance of the drug.

:abuse rate of drug or dependency potential .

The schedule 1 contain drugs that are more abusive and more potential for physical and psychosocial effects. This drug is medically unacceptable drug or severe controlled drug.

Eg:LSD,marijuaana,heroin

Schedule 2 is the drugs that is also have high potential for dependency and abuse and medically unacceptable drug and also a dangerous drug  include cocaine, hydromorphine, methadone etc,

Schedule 3 in that the drugs have less potential for dependency than schedule 1 and 2 and more potential for dependence than schedule 4 drugs.it have moderate to low potential physical and psychosocial dependence .

Schedule 4 in that drugs are low potential for physical and psychosocial dependance and medically acceptable.

Schedule 5 is low potential for physical and psychosocial dependence than schedule 4 drugs and this drugs are used for medical purposes such as antibiotics and antidirrheal.

The classification is in the order of high abuse or less medical acceptance drug to low abuse and more medically acceptable drugs.

Forensic toxicology is the application of analytical chemistry, pharmacology and clinical chemistry to find out cause of death and poisoning .in toxicology toxicologist collect body fluids or tissue during autopsy and analyzed for the presence of chemical ,gases etc and evaluate cause of death .

Roles and responsibilities of toxicologist

:collect samples during autopsy or incident site.

:test for presence of chemical

:handle equipments intellectually .

:make report and this will use for legal purposes

:the toxicologist is a witness in legal aspects.

:work with medical practitioner to find out the presence of alcohol and other chemical.