Evaluation of hemaPEN® sampling device for measurement of cocaine and metabolites in capillary blood by LC-MS/MS.

Background: Dried blood spot sampling has been reported for on-site collection of specimens, but measurements are affected by blood hematocrit, and special handling is required, especially for forensic applications. The hemaPEN® blood collection device was developed to produce spots with constant volume. Results: Linearity between 1 and 500 ng/ml was shown for cocaine and the metabolites benzoylecgonine and cocaethylene. The assay demonstrated acceptable precision and accuracy, and analytes were stable for 7 days when kept inside hemaPEN devices. Accuracy of the assay was affected by hematocrit but was within acceptable limits. Conclusion: Use of the hemaPEN, which retains dried blood within the device, could be advantageous for the quantification of illicit drugs in capillary blood compared with conventional dried blood spot collection.