The National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences (Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses, INTCF) recently obtained accreditation, for its Barcelona department, in the proficiency testing program of commonly abused seized drugs (drogas de abuso habituales en alijo, DAHA). Thus, INTCF becomes the first body accredited in Spain to carry out this activity.

Specifically, the exercise aims to assess the participating laboratory's performance to identify and determine the density of six types of commonly abused drugs in shipments: cocaine, heroin, MDMA, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and ketamine.

Proficiency testing is a tool enabling laboratories to identify areas to improve and detect possible errors in order to improve their service quality, by influencing the basic aspects of their technical performance and providing an independent assessment.

However, for a proficiency test to work at its full control and improvement potential, it is essential that it is carried out with the appropriate level of technical competence and according to internationally accepted standards, something that can only be achieved with ENAC accreditation.