Dominion Diagnostics Creates New Model for Drug Monitoring

Dominion Diagnostics LLC, Rhode Island, US, has announced an approach to clinical medication reporting that could enable physicians to better
individualise treatment for patients in their care.
Scientifically Accurate Medication Monitoring (SAMMTM ) includes a validated comprehensive screen for pain medications and their associated
metabolites along with interpretation and support from the company’s team of clinical pharmacologists and MD’s. The reports contain information on prescribed and abused pain medications, also on the drug source.
In early 2006, Dominion was the first laboratory specialising in clinical quantitative urine drug testing for pain and addiction medicine, to add liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) to its test menu through the acquisition of Waters® ACQUITY
UltraPerformance LC® (UPLC®)/TQD and Quattro micro™ Mass Spectrometry (MS) systems.
To meet patient pharmacotherapy demands in 2008, Dominion is said to be increasing its capacity to a total of 11 UPLC/MS/MS systems in its laboratory.
“Waters’ technology and clinical applications expertise have enabled our business to get to another level in terms of the services, like
SAMM, that we can offer our clients,” said Dr. Frank Fornari, CEO of Dominion Diagnostics. “The technology has allowed us to create a
new model for clinical drug monitoring in pain management and addiction medicine.”
Dr. Robert L. Barkin, an Associate Professor, Faculty of Anesthesiology, Family Medicine and Pharmacology, at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago,commented; “Waters’ solutions, coupled with Dominion’s SAMM, offers the most comprehensive, scientifically-backed data that has ever been available to our industry.
Now that we have the ability to interpret individual patient pharmacotherapy with this information, we can better focus our efforts on improving the quality of life and functional status of both our patients and their families.”