Experience with a haemagglutination inhibition test for morphine detection in urine

A commercially available haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test (Drug Test Opiates, Boehringer Biochemia Robin) for the detection of morphine in urine has been evaluated alongside a routine TLC method and a radioimmunoassay. TLC gave positive results for morphine, codeine or dihydrocodeine in 138 out of 300 samples from patients attending a drug dependence treatment unit. These were also positive according to the HI test, but a further 76 of the TLC negative samples also gave positive results with this technique. The TLC negative samples (162) were also analysed by RIA and positive results were obtained for 96 samples. Neither of the immunological tests could distinguish between morphine, codeine or dihydrocodeine, but no reactions with other abused drugs were observed.