title: Urine fingerprinting: detection of sample tampering in an opiate dependency program.
abstract: Methadone treatment programs commonly monitor patient compliance by screening urine samples for drugs of abuse. Our experience suggests that re-submission of urine samples (for example, providing a urine sample that is either not that of the patient or was previously submitted) is often used as a method of sample tampering. We have developed an algorithm that combines urine sodium, chloride, creatinine and pH values with urine drug screening results to effectively detect resubmitted samples. Given the widespread use of urine drug screening in drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, we believe this technique has significant practical benefits. This technique may also have an application in forensic identification of duplicate samples.
authors.affiliation: The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kapur
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hershkop
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koren
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gaughan
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005607:Fraud; D006801:Humans; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D013048:Specimen Handling; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry*