Industry Updates

Did you know there is only one FDA approved CBD on the market? “The US Food and Drug Administration sent a warning to 15 companies that have illegally sold cannabidiol products, better known as CBD, by adding it to food or marketing it as a dietary supplement.” – CNN “In addition to safety risks and unproven claims, the quality of many CBD products may also be in question. The FDA is also concerned that a lack of appropriate processing controls and practices can put consumers at additional risks. For example, the agency has tested the chemical content of cannabinoid compounds in some of the products, and many were found to not contain the levels of CBD they claimed. We are also investigating reports of CBD potentially containing unsafe levels of contaminants (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals, THC).” – FDA In addition to contaminants in the CBD there can also be traces of THC causing a positive urine test for THC. A recent Forbes article highlights this issue. “It is due to the inconsistencies associated with the manufacturing of CBD products that makes it impossible for the consumer to know what they are getting their hands on. Since none of the CBD products sold over the counter have been approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is relatively easy for pseudo cannabis companies to skimp on testing and other important quality controls. In some cases, these products are not CBD at all. ” – Forbes At-Home THC Urine Tests…

Colon cancer is a disease that is very treatable if caught early. However, the rate of colon cancer screening is still very low. One of the biggest risk factors for the disease is age, as most new cases occur in people over the age of 50. Unfortunately, many people don’t have symptoms in the early phases of the disease, making routine screening that much more important. According to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, “screening can detect up to 95% of colon cancer cases and is considered to be an essential part of digestive health care.” Good communication between doctor and patient is essential to ensure routine screening and early diagnosis in people with colon cancer. We interviewed leading medical experts and patients about their experiences and the importance of screening for colorectal cancers. They were more than happy to share their stories to spread awareness and educate the public.  Alfa Scientific Designs, Inc. shares our interviews in an effort to increase awareness and to support the ‘80% by 2018’ campaign to get 80 percent of adults between 50 to 75 screened by taking a colon cancer test by 2018. In our interview with leading medical experts, one of the themes that were consistent across their responses is that the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is a simple and effective way to screen for colon cancer. We could not agree with them more. Alfa Scientific Designs, Inc., produces our own fecal occult blood test, made here in the USA. Our FIT test…

Over the past 15 years, drug testing has become a more common and widespread practice in a number of different settings, including clinical, the workplace, and correctional settings. (Moeller 2008) There are a number of different specimens that can be used to conduct a drug test, including sweat, blood, hair, saliva, and urine. One might argue that saliva and urine would be the most universally convenient specimen types to use for a drug test. Research shows that the most common specimen used for drug testing is urine. (Crome 2006) Because urine drug tests are so simple,  easily administered and can produce rapid results, there is a growing demand for rapid, point of care (POC) drug tests that use urine as a sample specimen. ALFA Instant-viewTM Drug Tests can detect the use of up to 14 drugs in one urine test. The products come with everything needed to conduct the test and in multiple formats including dip sticks, dip cards, single cassettes, multi-drug panels, and cups. Results are available within minutes and most products are  cleared for professional and CLIA-waived use. Several of ALFA’s drug tests are OTC cleared as well as CE marked. Click here to view our over-the-counter urine drug tests. ALFA Instant-viewTM Drug Tests are also available in a format that uses saliva as the specimen for testing. These saliva drug test products can detect  the use of up to 9 drugs. The product is CE marked and is appropriate for both forensic and research settings. The product…

If you don’t know the usefulness of in vitro diagnostics (IVD) in the clinical or research setting, then you are in for a life-changing surprise. Information is power, and being able to control the speed of information transfer gives you even more power. This is why the ability to make a diagnosis in the presence of the patient, shortly after obtaining the biological sample, is paramount in the delivery of quality medical service. A clinician’s decisions are only as good as the information she has to base them on. The faster she can get accurate information, the more time she has in making good decisions that are executed right in time. 1. Quick Results IVD rapid tests can produce results within minutes of exposing the sample. This speed is of the utmost importance during emergency situations, and is also highly convenient in busy clinical settings. What if the patient is unconscious? What if the patient can’t speak? What if the patient doesn’t speak English? The ability to get instant results makes diagnostic decisions tremendously easier on the clinician, which is good for the patient. 2. Multiple Tests at the Same Time In vitro diagnostic testing has the added advantage of allowing multiple different markers to be detected at once. This is particularly advantageous when screening for the presence of drugs in a patient. Testing for the presence of multiple drugs allows the clinician to make crucial decisions about medications to give or not. Multi-test devices also have the advantage of…

Colon cancer is a disease that is very treatable if caught early. However, the rate of colon cancer screening is still very low. We interviewed leading medical experts and patients about their experiences and the importance of screening for colorectal cancers. They were more than happy to share their stories to spread awareness and educate the public.  Alfa Scientific Designs, Inc. shares our interviews in effort to increase awareness and to support the ‘80% by 2018’ campaign to get 80 percent of adults between 50 to 75 screened by taking a colon cancer test by 2018. In our interview of leading medical experts, one of the themes that was consistent across their responses is that the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is a simple and effective way to screen for colon cancer. We could not agree with them more. Alfa Scientific Designs, Inc., produces our own fecal occult blood test, made here in the USA. Our FIT test is called the iFOB (immunochemical Fecal Occult Blood) Test. Our first expert is Dr. Cedrek McFadden, MD, at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville. Click here to buy our easy to use at-home iFOB tests Dr. Cedrek McFadden, MD Clinical Assistant Professor University of South Carolina I am a clinical assistant professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville and a colorectal surgeon at the Greenville Health System in Greenville, South Carolina. A large part of my practice involves colon screening and the management of colorectal cancer. Testing…

As Election Day approaches on November 8th, the drug testing industry is paying close attention to the election results of 9 states that have initiatives on their ballots about expanding legal access to marijuana. What will be the impact in our industry from this unprecedented time in our electoral process?