Predicting Oxycodone Dose From Oral Fluid Drug Levels

Study Summary

This study will develop and test an algorithm that will estimate drug dosage from drug levels measured in oral fluid (saliva). Traditionally, urine has been used as the principle medium to monitor drug compliance in patients receiving opioids for chronic pain as well as those being treated for substance abuse. Recently, the use of saliva as an alternative to urine drug testing has been gaining in popularity. Oral fluid has several advantages over urine as a medium for drug screening. In this study, oral fluid, urine and blood specimens will be collected from volunteer patient donors with chronic pain taking opioid medications. Samples from the anonymous donor will be analyzed for opiate class drugs, using New York State Department of Health approved and validated laboratory methods. Analytical results and other information collected will assist in evaluating the use of oral fluid as a specimen to detect opiate drug levels. The measurement of drug concentrations in blood and oral fluid simultaneously will allow for the determination of the amount of oral fluid that will be needed for successful drug testing. It is proposed that by measuring oral fluid drug levels an estimate of the amount of drug taken will be possible.