Point-of-Care Assay for Oxycodone

A point-of-care (POC) assay has been developed for detecting oxycodone, a synthetic opiate found in commonly abused prescription pain medications, including OxyContin. The test has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The new assay provides results within minutes after a urine sample is obtained. Called Rapid One OXY, it is designed specifically for detecting oxycodone at a very low level and does not detect other opiates at this level. No other generalized opiate test can provide these features, states American Bio Medica Corp. (ABMC, Kinderhook, NY, USA).

OxyContin has been linked to a recent spate of overdose deaths in the United States, with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) directly blaming the drug for at least 117 deaths and suspecting its role in another 179 fatalities. Abusers of the drug often chew tablets, crush tablets into powder for snorting, or dissolve crushed powder for intravenous injection to create a powerful, heroin-like high.

"This on-site testing device will undoubtedly play a role in determining the scale and impact of Oxy abuse,” said Gerald Moore, ABMC chairman and CEO. "This is the first scientific resource specifically available to provide definitive on-site information on whether or not oxy is a factor in suspected abuse and overdose cases.”



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