Urine drug testing of chronic pain patients. IV. prevalence of gabapentin and pregabalin.

Gabapentin and pregabalin are well established for the treatment of seizures and neuropathic pain. Both drugs are eliminated primarily unchanged by renal excretion. As part of an ongoing research program to improve and expand drug testing methods for compliance monitoring of pain patients, the prevalence and concentrations of gabapentin and pregabalin in urine specimens from chronic pain patients were determined by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay. The study was approved by an Institutional Review Board. A total of 57,542 urine specimens from 231 pain clinics located in 19 states were analyzed over the period of November 24, 2009, through May 2010. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) and upper LOQ of the assays for both drugs were 2.5 and 1000 μg/mL, respectively. Gabapentin was identified in 7013 specimens (12.2% prevalence), and pregabalin was identified in 4799 patients (8.3% prevalence). Generally, gabapentin concentrations were more than twofold higher than pregabalin, consistent with their relative potencies. Interestingly, both drugs were found in specimens from 249 patients, likely representing switching of prescriptions by the prescriber.