An Introduction to Testing for Drugs of Abuse

An Introduction to Testing for Drugs of Abuse presents a distilled set of facts about the major drugs of abuse that are encountered in clinical practice. Individual chapters highlight the similarities in chemical structure, mechanism of action, and physiologic effects of each drug group, as well as their metabolism, therapeutic uses and potential for misuse or abuse. Special attention is given to the testing process, with an emphasis on interpretation of test results.

Informative and entertaining cases appear at the end of each chapter. These cases illustrate the many situations in which drug testing is performed for medical, legal and employment purposes.

Written in clear, concise language, this book provides practical guidance to pathologists, clinical chemists and technologists who are responsible for reporting and interpreting the results of drug analyses. It will be especially useful to residents and students who are learning about toxicology for the first time. Clinical practitioners – doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals – will find the information they need to order and interpret drug tests accurately.