This study is aimed at exploring if “naloxone” is detected in urine and water samples by dipping buprenorphine/naloxone film directly into these specimens. This study utilized 12 urine samples from 12 healthy participants who were not taking any medications with four samples added as a control. Sublingual generic buprenorphine/naloxone (8 mg/2 mg) film was dipped directly into these samples. They were sent to the ARUP laboratory for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) quantitative analysis. The results were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software. The results showed that “naloxone” was detected at high levels both in urine samples and in water, into which buprenorphine/naloxone film was dipped. In addition, the “naloxone” level was associated with the area of the film and the time in contact with the urine or water samples, but it was not affected by the urine concentration or the temperature of the specimens. This information will be useful for clinicians in identifying urine manipulation and interpreting urine drug test results and can help them for accurate monitoring of their patients’ treatment progress in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment programs.
Part of the book: Advances and Challenges in Urine Laboratory Analysis