The study focused on the application of high-resolution mass spectrometry for the identification of impurities in pharmaceutical small molecules. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled high resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS) was used for identification of oxidative degradation impurities (DIs) of lansoprazole. The utilization of HRMS facilitates to determine the accurate mass of impurities and their fragment/product ions. A fast mass spectrometer (MS) compatible reverse phase chromatography method was used to investigate the oxidative stressed impurities. HPLC column; C18 (50 ¡Á 4.6 mm, 3.5 ¦Ìm) was used with gradient elution. Spectral data acquired using information dependent acquisition (IDA) with real time dynamic background subtraction algorithm (DBS). Three oxidative impurities: DI-I (m/z 386.0781), DI-II (m/z 402.0734) and DI-III (m/z 386.0785), was observed during this study; interpretation of high resolution spectral data of all three impurities was carried out; elemental composition and molecular structure was proposed for major fragments. In this study mass error was found ¡Ü7.7 parts per million (ppm).