Biological samples must be purified before chromatography to eliminate interfering compounds. Discs have recently been developed to enhance the performance of solid-phase extraction (SPE) and reduce solvent consumption. This type of support is available in all the bonded-phases typically found in conventional packed SPE devices. The process for solid-phase extraction of [125I]-methadone from water and serum (i.e. retention and losses of [125I]-methadone during sample loading, washing, elution, etc.) has been studied to determine the behaviour of this compound on several extracting supports. For serum solutions we observed significant matrix effects on discs because of their low capacity. This resulted in loss of [125I]-methadone during the loading step because the contact time between the analyte and the functional groups of the support was too short. Although mixed-mode discs, which have both hydrophobic and cation-exchange extraction mechanisms, do not perform as well as conventional cartridges, they can, nevertheless, be used before liquid chromatographic analysis because of their several mechanical and economical advantages in comparison with cartridges.