Fentanyl test strips as an opioid overdose prevention strategy: Findings from a syringe services program in the Southeastern United States

In 2016, the number of overdose deaths involving illicitly-manufactured fentanyl (IMF) surpassed heroin and prescription opioid deaths in the United States for the first time, with IMF-involved overdose deaths increasing more than 500% across 10 states from 2013 to 2016. IMF is an extremely potent synthetic opioid that is regularly mixed with heroin and often sold to unwitting consumers. Community-based organizations have started to distribute fentanyl test strips (FTS) as a strategy to identify IMF in street purchased products.
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - Category: Addiction Authors: Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research