• Amphetamines
• Ethanol (Alcohol)
• Cannabinoids
• Opiates
• Cocaine
• Phencyclidine

Synonym/Acronym:
Amphetamines, cannabinoids (THC), cocaine, ethanol (alcohol, ethyl alcohol, ETOH), phencyclidine (PCP), opiates (heroin).

Common Use:
To assist in rapid identification of commonly abused drugs in suspected drug overdose or for workplace drug screening.

Specimen:
For ethanol, serum (1 mL) collected in a red-top tube; plasma (1 mL) collected in a gray-top (sodium fluoride/potassium oxalate) tube is also acceptable. For drug screen, urine (15 mL) collected in a clean plastic container. Gastric contents (20 mL) may also be submitted for testing.

Workplace drug-screening programs, because of the potential medicolegal consequences associated with them, require collection of urine and blood specimens using a chain of custody protocol. The protocol provides securing the sample in a sealed transport device in the presence of the donor and a representative of the donor’s employer, such that tampering would be obvious. The protocol also provides a written document of specimen transfer from donor to specimen collection personnel, to storage, to analyst, and to disposal.

Normal Findings:
(Method: Spectrophotometry for ethanol; immunoassay for drugs of abuse)

Ethanol: None detected

Drug screen: None detected