The National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) is a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) program that systematically collects drug chemistry analysis results, and other related information, from cases analyzed by State, local, and Federal forensic laboratories (NFLIS-Drug). These laboratories analyze substances secured in law enforcement operations across the country. NFLIS-Drug offers a valuable resource for monitoring illegal drug abuse and trafficking, including the diversion of legally manufactured pharmaceutical drugs into illegal markets. NFLIS-Drug data are used to support drug regulatory and scheduling efforts and to inform drug policy and drug enforcement initiatives nationally and in local communities.

Since its inception in September 1997, NFLIS-Drug has become an operational information system that includes data from forensic laboratories that conduct analyses of about 97% of the Nation’s approximate 1.5 million annual drug cases. As of September 2018, NFLIS-Drug includes 50 State systems and 101 local or municipal laboratories/laboratory systems, representing a total of 277 individual laboratories. If your laboratory is interested in joining NFLIS-Drug, or if you have questions about the program, please contact us at DEANFLIS@rti.org.

The DEA is expanding the NFLIS program to include (1) medical examiner and coroner office (NFLIS-MEC) data regarding deaths in which drugs were identified and (2) public and private toxicology laboratory (NFLIS-Tox) data on toxicological findings from antemortem testing. These two continuous data collection programs complement NFLIS-Drug and further support the DEA’s drug regulatory and scheduling efforts. Findings from recent NFLIS-Tox and NFLIS-MEC surveys can be found on the Reports page.

Are you interested in joining other medical examiner and coroner offices or other toxicology laboratories participating in NFLIS-MEC and NFLIS-Tox? Contact us at DEA-NFLIS-MEC@rti.org or DEA-NFLIS-TOX@rti.org.