Methods for screening compounds for their potential to induce or inhibit a cardiac arrhythmia are disclosed. The methods comprise determining the ratio of the time constant (τ) of ICa,L recovery in tissue expressing the L-type calcium channel or any subunit or combination thereof of the L-type calcium channel treated with a test compound to the ventricular repolarization time of cardiac tissue treated with a test compound. The methods further comprise determining an arrhythmic risk score for a specified dose of a test compound.