Quantification of Eighteen Psychotherapeutic Agents and their metabolites Using Column Switching HPLC/UV

Background: The use of low cost equipment that nevertheless yields drug concentrations within reasonable running times is essential for routine TDM. We focus our work to the development of analytical methods that allow the quantification of as many drugs as possible by HPLC under the same conditions. So far we measured a lot of Psychotherapeutic Agents under three different conditions. Our aim was to combine these methods. Methods: The chromatographic separation was achieved on a PFP column with acetonitrile/potassium phosphate buffer as a mobile phase in automated column-switching HPLC using an UV detector. Results: Specimens were stable for > six months. The analytical method yielded good separation of desmethylvenlafaxine, amisulpride, lamotrigine, mirtazapine, venlafaxine, 10-OH-carbazepine, Oxcarbazepine, quetiapine, donepezil, desmethylcitalopram, citalopram, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, dihydroaripiprazole, desmethylsertraline, aripiprazole, sertraline, norfluoxetine, and fluoxetine within 40 minutes in specimens obtained from patients that were treated either with sertraline or with fluoxetin. The method was validated according to the recommendations of GTFCH (Gesellschaft für toxikologische und forensische Chemie). Conclusion: This method allows efficient quantification of a variety of often prescribed psychotherapeutic agents.