Drugs of abuse: Reliable analysis through Orbitrap mass spec

Traditional testing methods to screen and quantify drugs using immunoassays endure numerous constraints, such as cross-reactivity, false positives and limited selectivity.

With the growth of prescribed analgesics and misuse of opioids, clinical researchers and forensic toxicologists need simpler, more robust and reliable technologies that enable routine, reproducible and sensitive analysis of large toxicology panels within a single run to match their ever-increasing caseloads.

This application compendium presents a guide to rapid, easy and accurate screening and quantitation of targeted and untargeted compounds using high-resolution accurate mass LC-MS technology.

You will find a range of methods to quantify and screen drugs of abuse using the Thermo Scientific™ Q Exactive™ hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap™ series of mass spectrometers, covering:

• Analysis of barbiturates in urine
• Quantification of opiates to low ng/mL levels
• Screening assays for fentanyls
• Use of high-res MS/MS spectra and screening software
• Semi-quantification of drugs in plasma