Modified Scott's test for ketamine hydrochloride

Ketamine is a drug of abuse and is gaining popularity as a date rape drug. There are no field test kits available especially for ketamine. Scott's test has been used for the detection of cocaine for a very long time. It is based upon the formation of an insoluble complex of the cobalt thiocyanate ion with a free nitrogen base of cocaine. However, this test has been known for a large number of false positives when tested for cocaine. The authors have modified Scott's test by basifying the original solution and the addition of ethylene glycol for the detection of ketamine hydrochloride in the presence of lignocaine and cocaine. The test was done on more than 100 common drugs of abuse, medicines, cutting agents, excipients and other substances and was found to be specific only for ketamine. The EDX and FTIR analysis was further carried to establish the presence of ketamine in the complex. There were no false positives for the test and hence it could be incorporated for routine drug screening in toxicological and forensic drug laboratories, as well as frontline drug enforcement agencies.