LC-MS in Drug Analysis

Book excerpt: Liquid-Chromatography-Mass-Spectrometry procedures have been shown to be successful when applied to drug development and analysis. LC-MS in Drug Analysis: Methods and Protocols provides detailed LC-MS/MS procedures for the analysis of several compounds of clinical significance. The first chapters provide the reader with an overview of mass spectroscopy, its place in clinical practice, its application of MS to TDM and toxicology, and the merits of LC-MS(/MS) and new sample preparation techniques. The following chapters discuss different approaches to screening for drugs of abuse and for general unknowns, as well as targeted measurement of specific analytes or classes of analytes including abused drugs, toxic compounds, and therapeutic agents. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, LC-MS in Drug Analysis: Methods and Protocols seeks to serve both professionals and novices with its well-honed methodologies.