A comparison of five commercial immunoassays for the detection of flunitrazepam and other benzodiazepines in urine.

This article presented the results of an evaluation of five commercially available testing kits for detecting flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) and other drugs in the benzodiazepine group. The kits were tested using drug-free urine to which serial dilutions of the drugs had been added, and urine passed after oral administration of the drugs. The researchers found a positive response in several samples from volunteers who had taken 2 mg or 3 mg of flunitrazepam, but not where only 1 mg had been taken. Thirty-five clinical samples, taken from persons suspected of misuse of benzodiazepines, were also tested, but the results were not consistent among the kits being evaluated. The authors concluded that the test kits did not detect flunitrazepam reliably owing primarily to their poor sensitivities