Chapter 13 - Overview of Analytical Methods in Drugs of Abuse Analysis: Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, Liquid Chromatography Combined With Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Related Methods

Abstract

This chapter serves as a general overview of separation and mass spectrometry (MS) methods most commonly employed in clinical and forensic laboratories performing drugs of abuse testing. The information is presented in three basic components: molecular separation methods (gas chromatography (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC) also known as high-performance LC), ionization methods (electron ionization, chemical ionization (CI), electrospray ionization (ESI), atmospheric pressure CI, etc.), and MS methods (quadrupole mass spectrometer, triple quadrupole analyzer, etc.). Moreover, application of both GC combined with MS (GC/MS) as well as LC combined with MS (LC/MS) or LC combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in drugs of abuse testing are also addressed. Advantages and disadvantages of MS methods versus immunoassay and chemistry methods are also addressed in this chapter.