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Morphine Drug Test

The Black man who created the first over-the-counter home drug test approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is somewhat taken aback by the deluge of media coverage.

"I expected a few blurbs on television. I was in no way prepared for the enormity of the response not only here in the United States but around the world. The demand and the request for the product and the interest in the story have literally been worldwide," says Dr. J. Theodore Brown, Jr., president and CEO of the Baltimore-based Personal Health and Hygiene, Inc. "It's a wonderful opportunity, but also it incurs a significant amount of obligation and responsibility. I will do it, but it is going to be an exercise."

He is not overstating the magnitude of the situation. Since "Dr. Brown's Home Drug Testing System"--which detects the presence of PCP, cocaine, morphine and amphetamines in urine was approved by the FDA last month, Brown half-jokingly contends he and his small staff have been working 28-hour days. And that pace is not expected to slow down anytime soon.

"We've had calls to distribute to entire countries," says the State University of New York, Stony Brook graduate.

The system, due to hit the market in several weeks was initially targeted at parents who wanted to test their children for illicit drug use. Brown, who specializes in chemical dependency, said his 20-year-old son Chris "was definitely a major inspiration. The last thing I wanted to happen was to find him in the situation that unfortunately many of our kids find themselves in.

"We propose that this be used with the kids very early, as early as the drug dealers start to approach them," says Brown.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna E. Shalala, as she announced the system's approval, said: "The Clinton Administration has zero tolerance for illicit drugs. The approval of this test gives parents another option to consider to help ensure that their children remain drug-free."

Brown says he has widened his target market to adults as well.

Brown's kit, which should retail for less than $30, consists of a paper cup for urine collection and two plastic tubes into which the urine is poured for storage and shipping. The tubes are placed in a plastic pouch which is mailed to a designated laboratory. Each kit has an identification number which is placed on the urine specimen, making it possible to obtain results anonymously.

Brown, who established his own state-of-the-art laboratory, says that while the spotlight is currently on his product, the emphasis should not be so narrow. "Unfortunately, the fact that we are offering testing seems to be the focal point, and testing is a part of the system, an important and significant part, but not the only component of the system," explains Brown. "Much work has to be done by parents prior to doing any testing and definitely after the fact. Their involvement is of the greatest significance."

Brown, whose son and wife, Elaine, have been working with him to get the kit through the FDA process and on the market, says he "made a lot of personal sacrifices" and spent "hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more" on getting the product to the marketplace.

A massive undertaking, Brown says, it made the arduous research he had to do for his Ph.D. look like child's play.

"I especially want people who might not otherwise have the resources to go to the doctor or pay for this type of testing to be able to afford the product and make substance abuse a priority and recognize the importance of trying to prevent and control [substance abuse]," adds Brown.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group