[Drug analytics in oral fluid using immunoassay].

Drug analytics in oral fluid can be of relevance for various clinical and forensic questions, for example when testing for driving ability. To date few studies have been conducted concerning validity of different methods. The reliability of drug analytics in oral fluid was studied using cedia test and emit test (for cannabinoids). CUT-offs for different substances were defined after evaluation of ROC curves following various prestudies. 97 saliva and 103 urins probes from 31 opioid dependent patients were tested. Only for methadone, the results in oral fluid were comparable to those in urine. For most other drugs including opioids and barbiturates, results were less favourable. For cannabinoids and benzodiazepines, results were unsatisfactory. To date drug testing in oral fluid does not seem to be as accurate as urine analytics. Urine testing using immunoassays or gas chromatography is still the most reliable non-invasive test method. Drug testing in oral fluid may be of relevance as an additional method in substitution treatment and as an experimental tool in epidemiological road surveys.