What Desert Tox does

Desert Tox, LLC operates a SAMHSA/HHS-certified forensic toxicology laboratory out of a single facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in March 2017 by two former employees of Southwest Laboratories and a former Southwest client following the 2016 closure of that lab, the company was established to fill the gap in DOT-compliant drug testing services in Arizona. It is Arizona's only HHS/DOT certified drug testing laboratory and one of fewer than 30 SAMHSA-certified laboratories worldwide, subject to bi-annual rigorous inspection and proficiency testing. The laboratory conducts forensic drug and alcohol testing using immunoassay screening integrated with chromatography-based confirmation methods, with most negative results available within 24 hours and same-day results offered for many tests.

The company's core offering is workplace forensic drug and alcohol testing services delivered to employers, courts, government agencies, treatment centers, schools, and individuals. Services span pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty, random, post-accident, and follow-up testing, supplemented by customizable drug panels, certified breath alcohol testing, oral fluid collection training aligned with Premier Biotech's INTERCEPT i2he system, and a Drug-Free Workplace Program consulting service. Specimens are collected at walk-in sites, on-site at employer locations, or shipped via FedEx to the Scottsdale lab, with results delivered through a secure 24/7 web portal.

Desert Tox generates revenue through per-test transaction fees under a quote-based pricing model, targeting B2B clients primarily through enterprise field sales and dedicated client service representatives. The company serves a vertically segmented customer base with employers as the primary segment, supported by courts, government agencies, treatment centers, schools, and a smaller direct-to-consumer individual testing channel. In June 2024, Desert Tox was acquired by Premier Biotech, Inc., integrating it into a larger nationwide drug testing organization while maintaining its Arizona-based operations and regional brand identity.

Name

Desert Tox

Legal name

Desert Tox, LLC

Website

https://deserttox.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Services

NAICS

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Toxicology & Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Laboratories (HLAFAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Drug-of-Abuse & Toxicology Rapid Tests (Urine/saliva panels) (HLAHAOAG), Drug & Alcohol Testing Coordination (BPACALAE)

Keywords

• Forensic drug testing
• Workplace drug screening
• SAMHSA certified laboratory
• DOT compliance testing
• Breath alcohol testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Services: Desert Tox generates revenue through providing DOT and non-DOT workplace forensic drug and alcohol testing services. Revenue is derived from per-test fees covering pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, return duty, random, post-accident, and follow-up testing. The company also generates revenue from custom drug panel configurations and alcohol testing procedures performed by certified breath alcohol technicians.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Desert Tox is Arizona's only HHS/DOT certified forensic toxicology laboratory providing workplace drug and alcohol testing services, including pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty, random, post-accident, and follow-up testing. The lab uses SAMHSA-certified immunoassay screening with chromatography-based confirmation methods to deliver legally defensible results, many available same-day. Services are delivered via walk-in collection sites, on-site employer collections, and FedEx specimen pickup, with 24/7 results access through a secure web portal.

Product overview

Desert Tox operates as a single-site Arizona-based toxicology laboratory offering workplace forensic drug and alcohol testing services. The core offering is DOT and Non-DOT testing services for employers, courts, government agencies, treatment centers, schools, and individuals. The laboratory provides custom drug testing panels, alcohol testing procedures, and a Drug-Free Workplace Program alongside its main testing services. All services are supported by a customer web portal for 24/7 results access. Desert Tox was acquired by Premier Biotech in June 2024 and operates as part of the Premier Biotech family while maintaining its Arizona-based laboratory operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workplace Forensic Drug and Alcohol Testing Services DOT and Non-DOT workplace forensic drug and alcohol testing services for employers, courts, government agencies, treatment centers, schools, and individuals. Includes pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty, random, post-accident, and follow-up testing with same-day results available for many tests.
• Drug-Free Workplace Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-day results available for much of the testing performed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Quest Diagnostics: One of the largest clinical laboratory networks in the U.S., offering employer drug testing services including DOT-compliant programs. Comparable because it serves the same employer and workforce drug testing market, though as part of a much broader diagnostics portfolio rather than as a specialized toxicology lab.
• Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp): Major U.S. clinical laboratory network providing workplace drug testing, including DOT-compliant testing services. Comparable as a national competitor in the employer drug testing space, though it operates at vastly greater scale and across many diagnostic categories.

Direct peers

• DrugScan: Specialized toxicology and drug testing laboratory serving workplace, clinical, and legal customers. Comparable as a dedicated toxicology lab operating in the same SAMHSA-style regulated drug testing environment with employer-focused services.
• Premier Biotech: Parent company of Desert Tox since June 2024 and a developer of oral-fluid drug testing products including the Intercept i2HE system. Comparable because it operates in the same SAMHSA-certified drug testing space and provides the technology platform (oral fluid collection) that Desert Tox trains employers to use.
• Psychemedics Corporation: Specialized laboratory providing drug testing services using hair sample analysis for employers, courts, and schools. Comparable as a niche, certified drug testing laboratory serving overlapping customer segments (employers, courts, schools) with legally defensible forensic results.
• United States Drug Testing Laboratories (USDTL): Specialized SAMHSA-certified toxicology laboratory focused on drug and alcohol testing for workplace, legal, and clinical clients. Comparable as a fellow SAMHSA-certified lab competing for the same employer, court, and government drug testing contracts.
• Omega Laboratories: Specialized forensic toxicology laboratory providing workplace, legal, and immigration drug testing with a focus on hair and specialty specimen testing. Comparable as a dedicated toxicology lab serving employer and legal market segments with certified, defensible results.
• Clinical Reference Laboratory (CRL): CAP-accredited and SAMHSA-certified clinical reference laboratory providing workplace drug testing, clinical trials support, and specialty diagnostics. Comparable because it operates a certified toxicology lab serving employers and regulated industries, similar to Desert Tox's model.
• Cordant Health Solutions: Specialized toxicology laboratory providing workplace drug testing, criminal justice testing, and behavioral health monitoring. Comparable as a SAMHSA-aligned drug testing provider serving employers, courts, and treatment centers — overlapping directly with Desert Tox's customer base.

Regional players

• ACM Global Laboratories: Centralized esoteric and toxicology laboratory serving health systems, employers, and research clients. Comparable because it offers specialized toxicology and drug testing services with regional and national reach, though its primary focus extends into clinical esoteric testing beyond workplace drug testing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/desert-tox-llc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Desert Tox