Rapid mass screening and confirmation of urinary amphetamine and methamphetamine by gas chromatography

Abstract

A rapid and simple procedure is described for the mass screening and confirmation of amphetamine and methamphetamine in urine using gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. The amphetamine drugs are screened as free drugs on a 10% Apiezon L-10% KOH column and confirmed as their trifluoroacetamide derivatives on a 3% OV-17 column. This dual approach eliminates false positives and interfering substances that may be present in the urine and is, therefore, specific for amphetamine and methamphetamine.