DRUGS OF ABUSE COMMITTEE

In 1997 a new committee on 'drugs of abuse' was founded on behalf of the executive committee of the IATDM-CT. During the IATDM-CT congress in Vancouver thirteen invited scientists from ten countries around the world came together to the first committee meeting. During the Vancouver meeting five colleagues asked to act as committee members. First of all, topics were collected which should be discussed in the committee: definition of the term 'drugs of abuse', development of general statements, elaboration of recommendations for drug testing in clinical toxicology, knowledge transfer from skilled working groups to newcomers, organization of workshops or symposia during international meetings. Further topics should be the application of alternative matrices in drug testing, demands for developing further immunoassay kits (other drugs, cut-offs or cross-reactivities), analytical methods for and data on LSD, new techniques, particularly other types of MS, impact of herbal medicine in the practice of clinical toxicology, drug chirality and analysis in clinical toxicology.

On behalf of the organizers of the 1999 IATMDCT meeting in Cairns the committee discussed topics to be presented in symposia or workshops. The following topics, which should deal with analytical, pharmacological and toxicological aspects, were submitted for consideration: buprenorphine, designer drugs, LSD and other hallucinogens, inhalants, mushrooms, herbal drugs, salbutamol, laxatives and diuretics (Munchausen syndrome), problematic (e.g. unstable) drugs, near-patient testing devices, new analytical techniques. In line with the links already established with IFCC for TDM, IATDMCT is exploring the establishment of a similar committee for Drugs of Abuse. The meeting was closed with thanks to all participants and the next meeting will take place during the TIAFT meeting in Albuquerque, USA in October 1998. For easy and rapid communication within the committee, Dr Gianpaolo Brusini from Padova, the telematic expert of the committee, has created a 'moderated' e-mailing list (iatdtmct@brusini.net).