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Median time to complete toxicology cases (days)
Provide services to the City for forensic purposes. — Provide timely and accurate laboratory services for criminal justice purposes.
OCME's Forensic Toxicology Laboratory cut its median case turnaround from 111 days in FY22 to 41 in FY25 despite a rise in toxicology submissions driven by the opioid crisis. The agency attributes the improvement to hiring additional forensic toxicologists, new lab equipment, an expanded service contract, and targeted investment of opioid-settlement funds, along with workflow and efficiency upgrades.
Researched July 16, 2026 — NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 111 days | 60 days |
| FY23 | 73 days | 90 days |
| FY24 | 77 days | 90 days |
| FY25 | 41 days | 90 days |
| FY26 (YTD) | 40 days | 90 days |
Why this is tracked
OCME's forensic laboratories, including the nation's only public molecular genetics laboratory, process the DNA and other physical evidence that police investigators and courts rely on to solve crimes and clear the wrongly suspected. In 1998 its Department of Forensic Biology became the first lab in the country to use Y-chromosome STR testing in casework, and a dedicated 2001-2003 project eliminated the city's backlog of untested sexual assault kits; the city has not had a backlog since. The lab also compares profiles against the FBI's national CODIS database to generate new leads in cold cases.
Source: Forensic Toxicology Laboratory — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: The median number of days from the time OCME receives the case for the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory to perform analysis on fatality victims to determine the presence of drugs and other toxic substances in human fluids and tissues, in order to evaluate their role in the cause or manner of death, measured in age.