Three portable technologies have been tested for their ability to detect fentanyl in street drugs: BTNX fentanyl testing strips, the TruNarc Raman spectroscopy machine, and the Bruker Alpha machine. These technologies were compared to a gold standard, a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer, using street samples of drugs from Baltimore and Providence.
Fentanyl Detection Technologies
The low-cost testing strips, similar to a home pregnancy test, detected the smallest amounts of fentanyl (0.125 micrograms/mL). The Bruker Alpha machine, which might be useful at a fixed or secured mobile location with trained personnel to interpret the scans, provided more information about the content of drugs.
Interest in Drug Checking
When interviewed, the vast majority of people who inject drugs in the three cities were interested in having their drugs checked for fentanyl. They believed that doing so would help them protect themselves from overdose.