A pilot study of the accuracy of onsite immunoassay urinalysis of illicit drug use in seriously mentally ill outpatients.

OBJECTIVES

This pilot study investigated the accuracy of onsite immunoassay urinalysis of illicit drug use in 42 outpatients with co-occurring substance use disorders and serious mental illness.

METHODS

Up to 40 urine samples were submitted by each participant as part of a larger study investigating the efficacy of contingency management in persons with co-occurring disorders. Each sample was analyzed for the presence of amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and opiates or their metabolites using onsite qualitative immunoassays. One onsite urinalysis was randomly selected from each participant for confirmatory gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses.

RESULTS

Agreement between immunoassay and GC-MS was calculated. Agreement was high, with 98% agreement for amphetamine, methamphetamine, opiate, and marijuana. Agreement for cocaine was 93%.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this pilot study support the use of onsite immunoassay screening cups as an assessment and outcome measure in adults with serious mental illness.

SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Data suggest that onsite urinalysis screenings may be a helpful assessment tool for measuring clinical and research outcomes.