Screening for Unknowns in Assessing Emerging Threats and New Developments in the Use of Illicit Drugs

User Benefits

- Application of a non-targeted screening workflow in LabSolutions Insight Profiler software to rapidly identify illicit drugs in discarded drug paraphernalia analysed using a non-targeted LC/QTOF method for forensic toxicology. - The analysis of 32 user submitted syringes positively identified illicit compounds in samples reflecting poly-drug use in individuals. - LabSolutions Insight Profiler delivers an end-to-end solution for non-targeted screening against a primary list of targeted drugs verified by authentic standards and wider searching through MS/MS library identification via third-party resources.

Introduction

Changes to the illicit drug market are typically revealed through monitoring population level trends associated with known drug substances via wastewater analysis and conducting surveys of people who use drugs. This can lead to a lack of empirical data relating to dynamic alterations in drug availability, purity, adulteration, poly-drug use, and the introduction of novel drug substances at the “street-level”, that are directly proximal to the point of consumption. Here we present a pilot study which has led to the implementation of the RAPID early warning system at The University of Melbourne. In this application, samples from discarded drug paraphernalia were analysed using a non-targeted high-resolution LC-DIA-MS/MS method with an innovative screening software application, LabSolutions Insight Profiler, for the identification of illicit drugs and the potential detection of novel substances.

October 8, 2026 GMT