Development of methods for the detection of novel psychoactive substances in oral fluid

Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are a group of drugs developed to evade legal and testing authorities whilst producing the effects similar to the drug they mimic. Two large groups of NPS are cathinones and synthetic cannabinoids. Due to the novel nature and rapid evolution of these drugs, testing options have not been available for workplaces wishing to undertake drug testing as part of their safety management program. The existing standards AS/NZS 4308:2008 and AS 4760:2006 only allow for the detection and quantitation of traditional drugs in urine and oral fluid respectively. This lack of any testing options for these novel substances, combined with fragmented exposure reports mean that capturing the scope and depth of the NPS problem in Australia is difficult. The specific aims of this PhD research were to: Promote a cohesive, national approach to reporting and documentation of exposures to novel psychoactive substances; Develop analytical methods for the detection of cathinones in oral fluid; Develop analytical methods for the detection of synthetic cannabinoids in oral fluid; Determine stability of novel psychoactive substances under varying conditions and time; Inform selection of collection devices by evaluating recovery from the Biophor and Quantisal devices. Collectively the methods developed in this Thesis allow for the analysis of a class of drug not previously detected by routine analysis along with advice on collection device. These methods have been adapted to a real-world situation and are established in a commercial pathology company. The ability to detect these drugs will assist in elucidating the scope of NPS use within Australia.