FOS 707 Fundamentals of Forensic Toxicology

30 HOURS LECTURE PLUS CONFERENCES 

This course serves as an introduction to the basic principles of forensic toxicology. This course emphasizes the common drugs/poisons that are encountered by a practicing forensic toxicologist and the approach to determining their medico-legal role in establishing the cause of death and disease. Topics include the pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of drugs, impairment versus intoxication, and the interpretation of drug effect in the criminal court setting. The science of ethanol and drugs of abuse, along with other important agents (sports doping drugs, therapeutic drugs, CO etc.), will be discussed as they relate to toxicology. An introduction to the basic applied methods of forensic toxicology is also presented, including biological samples, analytical schemes, and some of the special problems commonly encountered in forensic toxicology. Lectures, directed readings, and participatory discussions will introduce the science of forensic toxicology.