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Technical platform for analytical toxicology and pharmaceutical chemistry

Integrated into the forensic medicine department, this platform was created at the end of 2016.

The missions

Currently the unit is composed of 4 engineers, 5 technicians, 1 quality referent and, for the administrative part, 2 part-time secretaries. To carry out its missions, the platform has state-of-the-art equipment worthy of the most efficient analysis laboratories.

The service has the following missions

  • the identification and dosage of narcotics
  • the control of medicinal products, legal, falsified or counterfeit
  • the analysis of food supplements or other products of unknown origin suspected of containing drug substances
  • the analysis for the European Pharmacopoeia, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The clients are the police, justice, customs, the Ministry of Health, but also private individuals such as doctors, pharmacists, social services (Jugend an Drogenhellef, Impuls, Abrigado, …) and private persons.

Main research projects

Several projects are currently underway, most often in collaboration with national or international universities and research institutes.

  • In collaboration with the association 4-motion and the Abrigado, the project “DROGUES II” concerns the analysis of psychotropic drugs given by users during certain festivities and of drugs consumed in the Abrigado. The main aim is to gain a better knowledge of the drugs (heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, cannabis and new synthetic drugs) consumed in Luxembourg.
  • Together with the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), the project “DROGUES DANS LES EAUX USEES” aims to complete the available data on drug use in Luxembourg. In the medium term, drug testing in waters will be integrated into this project and it is planned to extend it in the long term.
  • In collaboration with customs, the “ANALYSIS OF MEDICINALS” seized by customs will be carried out. The aim is to gain a better knowledge of medicines imported from countries such as India or China that do not have marketing authorisationshttps://www.edqm.eu/en in Luxembourg.
  • In collaboration with the University of Lille, the identification and dosage of cannabinoids in cannabis varieties is carried out on plants grown in Luxembourg.

Quality approach

The technical platform for analytical toxicology – pharmaceutical chemistry is ISO17025 certified for the drug control part and is part of the OMCL (Official Medicines Control Laboratories) of the EDQM. This network of laboratories (“GEON“) assists the regulatory authorities in controlling the quality of medicinal products for human or veterinary use available on the European market.

Since January 2022 the platform is accredited ISO17025 for the determination of the main drugs analysed in the service: heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, THC and CBD.

the team