A comparison between on-site immunoassay drug-testing devices and laboratory results

The aim with this study was to evaluate the accuracy of several on-site tes ting devices on the market. A part of this study is included in the Europea n Union's (EU's) roadside testing assessment project (ROSITA). An other req uest for this kind of study came from the Finnish prison department in the Ministry of Justice. The evaluation was performed on both urine assays and oral fluid assays. The on-site test results were compared with laboratory r esults (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS)). The samples were tes ted on amphetamines (AMP), cannabinoids (THC), opiates (OPI) and cocaine me tabolites (COC). Some of the tests also included a metamphetamine (MET) and a benzodiazepine (BZO) test. Both positive and negative samples were teste d. A total of 800 persons and eight on-site devices for urine and two for o ral fluid testing were included in this study. Good results were obtained f or the urine on-site devices, with accuracies of 93-99% for amphetamines, 9 7-99% for cannabinoids, 94-98% for opiates and 90-98% for benzodiazepines. However, differences in the ease of performance and interpretation of test result were observed. It was possible to detect amphetamines and opiates in oral fluid by the used on-site devices, but the benzodiazepines and cannab inoids did not fulfil the needs of sensitivity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science I reland Ltd. All rights reserved.