NIST REFERENCE MATERIALS TO SUPPORT ACCURACY IN DRUG-TESTING

Substance abuse is a major problem worldwide. There is considerable em phasis placed upon testing individuals for evidence of use of controll ed substances. Because the consequences of a positive test can be quit e severe, laboratories conducting such tests must rigorously follow a carefully designed quality assurance program. Such a QA program should include use of reference materials to assure that the methods used to detect and quantify drugs are providing accurate results. The Nationa l Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) supports accuracy in dr ugs of abuse testing by providing Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) with certified concentrations of drugs of abuse in urine- and hair-bas ed reference materials. NIST, working in collaboration with the Colleg e of American Pathologists (CAP), has developed urine-based SRMs for m arijuana metabolite, cocaine metabolite, morphine and codeine, and mor phine glucuronide and CAP Reference Materials for amphetamines and phe ncyclidine. Certification measurements performed at NIST involve two i ndependent methods for each analyte, one of which always uses GC/MS wi th the other usually being an LC method with either MS or UV detection . Work has recently been completed on a seven component drug in urine SRM. In addition NIST conducts research in the analysis of hair for dr ugs of abuse. To assist laboratories testing hair for that purpose, NI ST has developed two drugs in hair reference materials.