Home drug test strips find fentanyl

Feb 10, 2020 | 2:21 PM

Concerned by the number of drug users who hide their addictions by using at home, Interior Health (IH) is offering a new prevention tool.

Fentanyl test strips are now available to take home at community-based agencies in Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton, Kamloops, Merritt, Cranbrook and Nelson.

“Because of the stigma that still surrounds addiction, many people die from overdose alone and at home,” Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy said. “Giving people a simple, convenient way to check if their drugs contain fentanyl may help them avoid an overdose, and reduce the number of lives lost to the unpredictable and toxic drug supply.”

A small amount of a drug is mixed with a few drops of water, the test strip is inserted into the solution and a positive or negative for fentanyl is revealed within seconds.

A study completed by IH, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and the BC Centre for Disease Control concluded the take-home strips found fentanyl in opioid samples at a similar rate as the tests conducted at community-based agencies.

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The study was conducted from April to July of 2019 and provided participants with free take-home drug checking kits, each containing five fentanyl test strips, instructions and a survey.

Results from 994 take-home fentanyl test strips used on opioid samples were compared to checks on opioids conducted at health care and community sites during the same time period.

Take-home drug checking found almost 90 per cent of opioid samples contained fentanyl, while on-site drug checking found a similar number.

“Take-home test strips are something clients have been asking for, and now we have some promising evidence for their use,” Jessica Bridgeman, Interior Health’s harm reduction coordinator, said. “This is one more tool among other strategies we have implemented to address the ongoing opioid overdose crisis.

“Take-home drug checking can be particularly helpful to those in rural and remote communities who may not have access to other overdose prevention services,” she said.

Originally intended for urine drug tests, the use of fentanyl testing strips to check the drugs themselves for fentanyl was pioneered by VCH in 2016.

by Kate Bouey

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