DRUG DETECTION IN URINE BY CHEMICAL IONIZATION MASS-SPECTROMETRY .2.

A rapid procedure for screening urines for the presence of base drugs is presented. The method involves subjecting the urine extract to direct-probe chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Isobutane was selected as the reagent gas because of the relatively simple drug spectra it produces during the chemical ionization process. The utility of the technique stems from its speed and the wide drug coverage it affords. No chromatographic separation procedures are utilized prior to the sample insertion into the spectrometer's source. Minimal interferences arising from common urine constituents were observed. Sensitivity of the method ranged from 0.06-1.5 μg/ml for selected rugs and metabolites. The procedure has been used for routine drug screening in the New Jersey State Police Laboratory for more than four years.