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An Introduction to Testing for Drugs of Abuse
William E. Schreiber
Clinical Director of Chemistry, LifeLabs
Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
The University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada
This edition first published 2022 © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: Schreiber, William Edward, 1954– author.
Title: An introduction to testing for drugs of abuse / William Edward Schreiber, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Description: Hoboken, NJ : Wiley, 2022. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021058984 (print) | LCCN 2021058985 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119794059 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119794066 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119794073 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Drug testing.
Classification: LCC HV5823 .S45 2022 (print) | LCC HV5823 (ebook) | DDC 615.7/040724–dc23/eng/20220107
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021058984
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021058985
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Image: © luchschenF/Adobe, Kondor83/Shutterstock, Stephen Orsillo/ Shutterstock, monticello/Shutterstock
Preface
Toxicology is one of the most complex fields in laboratory medicine, and it is a frequent source of consultations. Doctors, nurses, patients, and other clients ask me a lot of questions about drug testing and what the results mean. Here are some examples.
Can passive exposure to marijuana smoke cause a positive test for cannabis?
Which drugs are detected by your amphetamine assay?
If my patient is taking oxycodone, why was the screening test for opiates negative?
How long can heroin be detected in a urine sample?
Could this level of cocaine in blood be fatal?
It has taken years to learn the answers and, perhaps more importantly, to locate the resources where those answers can be found. There is a huge literature on drugs of abuse and their measurement. However, it is hard to find a publication that summarizes both the testing process and the interpretation of test results. That is what laboratory and clinical practitioners need, and that is the subject of this book.
My goal is to provide a readable account of the most common drugs of abuse – what they are, how they work, therapeutic uses, potential for abuse, and how laboratories test for them. Enough practical information is included so that readers can understand and interpret the results of drug tests. The book is an introduction, not a compendium – more detailed information is available in textbooks, journal articles, and websites, some of which are listed at the end of each chapter.
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