Detection of Drugs in Oral Fluid Samples Using a Commercially Available Collection Device: Agreement with Urine Testing and Evaluation of A and B Samples Obtained from Employees at Different Workplace Settings with Uncontrolled Sampling Procedures

Abstract

The use of oral fluid tests to detect drugs is of growing interest in various areas, including treatment centers, roadside and workplace testing. In this study, we investigated drug detection in oral fluid samples collected using a commercially available device, Oral Eze. Drug detection in oral fluid was compared to paired urine samples, which were simultaneously collected. We also evaluated the collection device by comparing A and B oral fluid samples. Finally, we studied the stability of various drugs in samples stored for at least 1 year. The drug profile was investigated by comparing the drugs detected in oral fluid samples with paired urine samples collected in a treatment center. A total of 113 paired oral fluid and urine samples were investigated for the presence of drugs in the following groups: amphetamines, benzodiazepines, opiates and opioids, cocaine and cannabis. A and B samples were collected from different workplaces through an uncontrolled sampling procedure (n = 76). The stability of drugs in A samples was assessed after storage at −20°C for 1 year. Generally, there was a good correlation between drugs detected in oral fluid samples and urine samples. The heroin metabolite, 6-MAM, was more frequently detected in oral fluid samples than in urine samples, while cannabis was better detected in urine samples. Drugs in oral fluid samples were stable when stored at −20°C for at least 1 year. However, in many positive A and B oral fluid samples, there was significant variation in the concentrations obtained. Hence, the collection device may need to be further standardized and improved.

Evaluation of an Oral Fluid Collection Device and a Solid-Phase Extraction Method for the Determination of Coca Leaf Alkaloids by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

“…Oral Fluid (OF) is an alternative matrix in forensic toxicology. It is a simple, rapid, accessible, non-invasive, and useful biological sample applicable in the field of forensic toxicology, in criminal justice, workplace testing, and driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) programs [ 6 , 7 ]. However, the results obtained can be affected by factors such as sample pH, drug pKa, protein binding, and sampling.…”

Comparison of Two Immunoassay Screening Methods and a LC-MS/MS in Detecting Traditional and Designer Benzodiazepines in Urine

“…Benzodiazepine detection in urine is a common routine test in clinical and forensic laboratories. They are monitored in cases of suspected drug-facilitated sexual assault [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ], in workplace contexts [ 9 , 10 , 11 ], in suspected impaired drivers [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], and in cases of suspected intoxication [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Hence, the laboratories need a sensitive immunoassay for use as a screening procedure.…”

Impact of Quantisal® Oral Fluid Collection Device on Drug Stability

“…Oral fluid (OF), as an alternative, non-invasive, and accessible matrix (Dams et al, 2007 ; Bosker and Huestis, 2009 ) for the detection and monitoring of drugs, is of growing interest in clinical toxicology, criminal justice, workplace testing, and driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) programs (Bosker and Huestis, 2009 ; Zheng et al, 2020 ). Due to its accessibility, a growing list of illicit drugs are being monitored for quantitative profiling in this matrix (da Cunha et al, 2020 ) by LCMS analysis; however, it has some pitfalls (Huestis et al, 2011 ; Desrosiers and Huestis, 2019 ).…”