Transcript Slide 1

The Science Behind Drugs Testing
-Past, Present and FutureDr Francois Oosthuizen –
Senior Chemist & Research Officer,
Toxicology laboratory, ChemCentre
About ChemCentre
• ChemCentre provides
chemical and forensic testing
for the State
• We provide forensic toxicology
services (including drug
testing) to:
• WA Police
• Office of the State Coroner
• A wide range of private clients
The Challenge
• Increased importance of Drug testing
in society
• Wide spectrum of services (coronial,
sobriety, criminal, workplace)
• Meeting their individual needs
• Adapting to a fast changing market
Common Categories:
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Cannabinoids
Amphetamine
Opiates
Cocaine
Benzodiazepines
other
Drug Testing – Current Approaches:
• Blood
• Urine (AS/NZ 4308-2008)
• Oral Fluid (AS 4760-2006)
Blood:
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Closest relationship to brain concentrations
Parent Drug
Extensive literature
Somewhat invasive
Limited Detection Window
No on-site testing capability
Keith R. Allen, Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 48, 2011, 531-541 (and references therein)
Urine:
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Less Invasive sample collection
Some on-site testing capabilities
Broad detection time window
Targets metabolites
No relationship to brain concentrations
No relationship between urine concentration
and effect
• Time delay for collection.
Urine cont’d:
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Adulteration, dilution or falsification of samples
‘Shy Bladder’ syndrome
Broad detection time window
Special facilities needed
Oral Fluid:
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Least invasive sample collection
No time delay for collection
Targets parent drugs
Some on-site testing capabilities
Limited relationship to blood concentrations
Relationship between oral fluid concentration and
effect?
• Limited detection window.
Oral Fluid cont’d:
• Limited adulteration
• Buffer solutions can pose restrictions on type of
analysis
• Collecting enough – ‘dry mouth syndrome’
Keith R. Allen, Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 48, 2011, 531-541 (and references therein)
Time Window for Detection:
Depends on several factors:
• Dose of drugs
• Frequency of dosing
• Individual metabolism
• Cut-off used to measure drugs
• Matrix tested
Keith R. Allen, Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 48, 2011, 531-541 (and references therein)
Detection Times - Urine
MA (10 mg)
MDMA (100 mg)
THCA (1.75%)
(3.50%)
Heroin (morphine)
Cocaine(BZE)
Detection (h)
87 ± 51 hours
48 hours
34
87
11 – 54
48 – 72
max. Det (days)
6 days max
95
11.3
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Alaine G. Verstraete, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, vol 26, No. 2, April 2004 (and references therein)
cut-off (ng/ml)
2.5
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15
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1000
Detection Times – Oral Fluid
Detection (h)
MA (10 mg)
24 hours
MDMA (100 mg)
24 hours
THC
34
Heroin (MAM) (20 mg) 0.5 – 8
Morphine (20 mg)
12 – 24
Cocaine(cocaine)
5 – 12
Cocaine(BZE)
12 –24
cut-off (ng/ml)
2.5
126
0.5
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Alaine G. Verstraete, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, vol 26, No. 2, April 2004 (and references therein)
Adulteration
Added to urine in an attempt to interfere with the screening and/or confirmatory
assays themselves or reduce the drug level by chemical destruction.
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Altering pH of sample
Sample dilution or replacement (creatinine testing) (in-vitro or in-vivo)
Oxidising agents (bleach, conc. lemon juice, vinegar)
More recently products sold on internet include ‘Urine Luck’, ‘Klear’,
‘Instant Clean’
Active ingredient Pyridinium chlorochromate, gluteraldehyde and peroxidase with
peroxide.
Guidelines with regards to level of adulterants and pH in urine have been published
(laboratory-based and on-site adulteration tests available)
Visual inspection to be carried out
Adulteration cont’d
No doubt that more novel ways of beating the urine drug test will be
pursued and hence the attraction of drug testing moving toward oral fluid.
- Easier supervision renders tampering with sample difficult
- Several commercial oral fluid adulterants available but their mode of action
very similar to common mouthwash. They do not destroy or change pH
of the oral fluid.
- Sucking sterilising tablets (sodium dichloroisocyanurate) immediately prior
to sample collection – will destroy lot of drug(s) present
Keith R. Allen, Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 48, 2011, 531-541 (and references therein)
Instrumentation
• LCMS – QQQ
• LCMS – QTOF
• GCMS
Lab Confirmations (LCMS-QQQ)
Future Challenges
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Synthetic Cannabinoids
DMAA
‘Bath Salts’ (MDPV, 4-MMC)
Salvia Divinorum
Tryptamines
Designer Amphetamine Drugs