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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: April 23, 2019
Qualitative screening for drugs of abuse in hair using GC-MS
S Paterson1, N McLachlan-Troup, R Cordero
1Toxicology Unit, Imperial College School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom. s.paterson@ic.ac.uk
Abstract:
A previously described method for the analysis of hair has been modified to include analysis for amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine and its metabolites, methadone and its metabolite, and phencyclidine in addition to opiates on a sample of hair. The samples of hair were washed twice with dichloromethane and cut into 1-mm segments prior to extraction with methanol at 45 degrees C for 18 h. The extracts were split into two parts; both were evaporated to dryness. One half of the extract was derivatized using MBTFA for analysis of amphetamines, and the other half was derivatized using MTBSTFA for analysis of the remaining drugs. The extracts were analyzed using electron impact gas chromatography-mass spectrometry operating in selected ion monitoring mode. In total, 18 drugs of abuse/metabolites could be detected. The method was used to screen 20 hair samples from patients attending a methadone-maintenance clinic.
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