DETECTING CRACK AND OTHER COCAINE USE WITH FAST PATCHES

Social Sciences Innovations Corporation, New York NY

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Linked publications & trials

Abstract

PharmChem Laboratories has developed a new sweat patch product, the FastPatch(TM), which reduces minimum wear times to detect cocaine and most other drugs of abuse from the full day typically required with standard sweat patches to 20 or 30 minutes through mild heating. Additionally, there is an increasing need and growing market for the detection of crack use distinct from other cocaine use. Recent research has identified unique pyrolytic metabolites of crack, anhydroecgonine methylester (AEME) and ecgonidine (ECD). These metabolites are detected through GC/MS. However, a low-cost EIA procedure is likely within a year increasing the market potential for detection with a FastPatch(TM). This application proposes a non-controlled field trial (N=360) of the FastPatch(TM) in an arrestee sample with high incidence of crack and other cocaine use. This trial will examine the feasibility of using the FastPatch(TM) in criminal justice settings while evaluating the effectiveness of detecting crack analytes and other cocaine in FastPatch(TM) sweat eluate. The FastPatch avoids typical problems with urinalysis such as violations of privacy, dilution or substitution of specimens, possibility of disease transmission, and transport of noxious fluids. Advantages over the standard sweat patch include longer window of detection (2-3 weeks versus 2-3 days) and short minimum period of wear needed to detect most drugs (20-30 minutes versus 24 hours). There is a growing market and a need for the FastPatchTM in criminal justice, drug treatment, and workplace settings. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: As a commercial product FastPatches offer several advantages to urine testing: l) noninvasive sampling, 2) longer period of detection for monitoring, 3) difficult to adulterate or beat, and 4) ease of sample transport. FastPatches are superior to standard patches requiring shorter wear times to detect drugs, and longer window of detection. FastPatches may eventually replace urine as the method of choice in the drug treatment, criminal justice, military, and workplace drug testing markets.