Abstract: Objective Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS) was developed for the determination of opiates in biological samples according to the emerging problem in drugs abuse. Methods Opiates such as heroin, 6-acetylmorphine, morphine, codeine, acetylcodeine, hydrocodone and hydromorphone were isolated from human blood, urine, oral fluid and hair using a simple extraction and consequently analyzed using LC-MS/MS. The method was evaluated by real cases. Results The mobile phase give the optimum separation for opiates. The detection limit of morphine in urine with dilution and liquid-liquid extraction and in hair is 10ng/mL, 0.01 ng/mL and 0.01 ng/mg, respectively. Conclusion The method is simple and rapid, offering superior sensitivity and selectivity for opiates. The target compounds comprising hydrocodone and hydromorphone enlarge the applied area.

Key words: LC-MS/MS, opiates, dilution, oral fluid, sensitivity