Quantitation of propoxyphene and its major metabolites in heroin addict plasma after large dose administration of propoxyphene napsylate.

A sensitive and specific GLC assay method was developed for the determination of propoxyphene, its major metabolite norpropoxyphene, and lesser known metabolites cyclic dinorpropoxyphene and/or dinorpropoxyphene in plasma of heroin addicts administered up to 800 mg of propoxyphene napsylate. The assay used a mass internal standard of pyrroliphene. The compounds were extracted from pH 9.8 carbonate-buffered plasma with butyl chloride, back-extracted into acidified water which was then washed with hexane, and reextracted with chloroform from the aqueous phase made basic. Quantitation of the drug and its metabolites was accomplished by temperature-programmed GLC. Absolute identification of the compounds chromatographed was completed by GLC-mass spectrometry.