73819 - Analytical-Toxicological Approach to Drugs of Abuse

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student possesses an advanced theoretical knowledge about the analysis of the main drugs of abuse. In particular, the student learns the analytical characteristics of psychoactive compounds in different types of biological and non biological samples and the most proper techniques and methods to perform a reliable quali-quantitative analysis.

Course contents

Principles, aims and issues related to the pharmaco-toxicological analysis applied to the monitoring of drugs of abuse.

Method validation aspects referred to the monitoring of drugs of abuse and their metabolites: validation parameters following the main international guidelines.

Presentation and discussion of the analytical-toxicological aspects of the main classes of drugs of abuse.

Analytical strategies and approaches for identification and quantitation of the most significant drugs of abuse and new psychoactive substances (NPS).

Techniques and procedures for sampling, pretreatment, transportation and storage of specimens of different type and origin (both biological and non-biological) for the analysis of drugs of abuse.

Readings/Bibliography

STUDY MATERIALS:
- Slides discussed during the course
- Papers from the scientific literature discussed during the course.

 

FURTHER MATERIALS:
- Analysis of Drugs of Abuse
RabiA. Musah
Humana Press; first edition 2018

- Hair Analysis in Clinical and Forensic Toxicology
Pascal Kintz, Alberto Salomone, Marco Vincenti
AcademicPress; first edition 2015

- Handbook of Drug Monitoring Methods: Therapeutics and Drugs of Abuse
Amitava Dasgupta
Humana Press; first edition 2007

- Critical Issues in Alcohol and Drugs of Abuse Testing
Amitava Dasgupta
Academic Press, Elsevier; second edition 2019

- Challenges in Open Educational Resources: the case of TOX-OER MOOC
Ana Isabel Morales Martin et al.
Amarante; first edition 2018

Teaching methods

The course consists of 24 hours of lectures (3 CFU) during which the main instrumental techniques, methodologies and procedures applied to the pharmaco-toxicological analysis of drugs of abuse in biological and non-biological samples will be discussed.

Assessment methods

The learning assessment is carried out on the basis of an oral examination consisting in some questions aimed at evaluating the knowledge acquired by the student during the attendance of the lectures. In particular, the following skills are verified:

- Knowledge of advanced analytical instrumental terminology and theoretical principles of teaching subjects;

- Knowledge of the chemical-toxicological characteristics of the most representative compounds belonging to the main categories of classical drugs of abuse and to the varied panorama of the new psychoactive substances;

- Critical skills in the evaluation of the analytical problems related to the identification and quantification of dugs of abuse in biological and non-biological samples.

Teaching tools

Lectures will be carried out by means of the common electronic media (pc, tablet and similar devices).

Office hours

See the website of Laura Mercolini