Microextraction of drugs

This review will attempt to provide an overview as well as a theoretical an d practical understanding of the use of microextraction technologies for dr ug analysis. The majority of the published reports to date focus on the use of fibre solid-phase microextraction and so the review is significantly fo cused on this technology. Other areas of microextraction such as single dro p and solvent film microextraction are also described. Where there are insu fficient examples in the literature to illustrate important concepts, examp les of non-drug analyses are presented. The review is intended for readers new to the field of microextraction or its use in drug extraction, but also provides an overview of the most recent advances in the field which may be of interest to more experienced users. Particular emphasis is placed on th e effect various sample matrices have on extraction characteristics. (C) 20 00 Elsevier Science B.V; All rights reserved.