Dates:
Monday, September 11th, 2023 from 8:00am - 5:00pm ET
Tuesday, September 12th, 2023 from 8:00am - 5:00pm ET
Wednesday, September 13th, 2023 from 8:00am - 4:00pm ET
Thursday, September 14th, 2023 from 8:00am - 4:00pm ET (OPTIONAL)
Registration: $1500 per person
*All presentations must be attended to receive credit
2023 Updated Schedule Below!
Online/Virtual Training Course Description:
Drug toxicity is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Comprehensive death investigations of suspected drug-involved deaths include comprehensive scene investigation, a forensic autopsy and forensic toxicology testing. Information from the scene and history allows the forensic pathologist to ensure that the correct samples are collected at autopsy and the appropriate testing panels are selected for testing. Evidence collected at autopsy may indicate the involvement of drugs or other toxic substances not indicated from the scene. Once the test results are available, forensic pathologists and toxicologists work together to interpret the toxicology findings in the context of the case and help ensure that the presence of drugs is given the appropriate weight in the pathologist’s certification of the death.
This course has been designed to provide an overview of the investigation of suspected drug caused and related deaths, the best practices for the pathologist and toxicologist to work together, best practices in toxicological testing, and the interpretation of the results.
The faculty consists of experienced medicolegal death investigators, forensic pathologists and toxicologists, who will review the investigation process, indicators of drug involvement from scene examination, the forensic autopsy and review the forensic pharmacology and toxicology of the major drug classes involved in drug deaths in 2023.
The course features sections on involvement in drug related deaths of opioids, CNS depressants, stimulants, antidepressants and antipsychotics, novel psychoactive substances including hallucinogens, opioids and cannabinoids, anticonvulsants, alcohol and ketoacidosis, and other topics. Each session in structured to review the basics of the pharmacology, adverse effects, and guidance to interpretation of drug concentrations, and concludes with the perspectives of leading forensic pathologist Dr Jim Gill, Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Connecticut who will present examples of cases in each of the drug classes covered. The program also includes an in-depth consideration of postmortem redistribution, and other factors that affect interpretation.
The program concludes with an optional day-visit to a national forensic toxicology reference laboratory (NMS Labs) where the attendees will have the opportunity to shadow forensic toxicologists as they review cases and data and explain the process for reporting results.
This highly interactive program encourages attendees to discuss their own cases, and receive feedback from our toxicology panel, and forensic experts
The Mutter Museum’s location in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia offers exceptional opportunity to enjoy the museum and late summer in the city. A block of rooms is reserved at Motto by Hilton, Rittenhouse Square, 31 South 19th Street in Philadelphia. If, however, you are unable to personally join, the Postmortem Interpretive Toxicology Course is also offered through state of the art, hybrid technology. The HYBRID, Online Version will feature a live, simultaneous broadcast of the presentations from the podium at the Mutter Museum, with the opportunity for virtual interaction with on-site attendees and faculty through a Q&A window and chat feature. This mode is best suited to participants who are unable to travel to in-person meetings or attendees over the allowable capacity of the conference room.
DETAILED LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- The participants will be able to describe the complexities posed by drug-related deaths from the perspective of a Forensic Pathologist, Forensic Toxicologists, and a certified medicolegal death investigator.
- The participants will be able to apply their understanding of the interrelatedness, dependencies, and level of collaboration and communication that must be present for the Forensic Pathologist to reach accurate cause and manner of death findings.
- The Forensic Fellows and participants will be able to incorporate their understanding of analytical toxicology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics and Drug-Drug Interaction, into their practice, with incoporating the scope, type, and level of forensic toxicology required in their medicolegal death investigations.
Click the Enroll button below to register for the Online/Virtual Pathology Fellows Training course!
