Automated Solid Phase Extraction and Determination of Drugs of Abuse in Urine Samples using a Robotic Autosampler and LC-MS/MS

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency that sets national standards and oversight for drug testing and mental health services, including the regulation of federally mandated workplace drug testing programs. Laboratory analysis for SAMHSA-regulated testing is performed by SAMHSA-certified laboratories, which are rigorously audited and accredited facilities authorized to conduct initial and confirmatory drug testing for federal agencies, safety-sensitive industries, and regulated employers.

Automation of the extraction of urine samples is critical for laboratories following SAMHSA regulations because it ensures consistent, standardized sample preparation, minimizes human error, and supports quality control requirements. By improving reproducibility and throughput, while reducing analyst variability, automated workflows help laboratories maintain compliance while efficiently handling regulatory accuracy and precision expectations.

The automated solid phase extraction and determination of drug compounds using the LCTech FREESTYLE SPE sampler have been previously developed and discussed (1,2,3). This work shows that the same robotic sampler can be used to automate the extraction of the drug compounds in urine samples typically monitored by SAMHSA-certified laboratories.