If you are looking for fentanyl test strips to help prevent accidental overdoses, you may be wondering where you can purchase them. Fentanyl test strips are a valuable tool in harm reduction efforts as they can detect the presence of fentanyl in substances such as heroin, cocaine, or counterfeit pills.
- UC San Francisco Volunteer Assistant Clinical Professor in Clinical Pharmacy Tessa Rife-Pennington, PharmD, BCGP, works at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and with UCSF’s Addiction Research Program.
- A plan to distribute the testing strips is under development and will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
- Explore the information below to learn more and see what resources are available to the community.
- Six interviews were cross-coded by two research team members to ensure a concordance with a kappa of at least 80%.
- For many people, the best solution for opioid use disorder is medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
- More recently, BTNX, a Canadian company that sells fentanyl test strips, also introduced strips used to test for xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer that is increasingly present in the U.S. opioid supply.
Online Retailers
Help and Resources
One convenient option for purchasing fentanyl test strips is through online retailers. There are several websites that specialize in harm reduction supplies and offer fentanyl test strips for sale. Some popular online retailers include:
- Dancesafe: Dancesafe is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting health and safety within the nightlife and electronic music community. They offer fentanyl test strips along with other harm reduction supplies.
- The Bunk Police: The Bunk Police is another organization that provides drug testing kits and fentanyl test strips to help ensure the safety of individuals using recreational substances.
- BunkBot: BunkBot is an app-based service that allows users to order fentanyl test strips and other harm reduction supplies discreetly.
Inpatient treatment programs are often a great option for those struggling with Fentanyl or other Opioid use. Here, patients can safely detox from drugs while under the supervision of medical professionals should any complications arise. Inpatient programs also offer treatment in the form of therapy, medication, and support groups that can help promote healthy coping skills to support sobriety after leaving. It’s important to note that while Fentanyl testing strips have been decriminalized in the state of Florida, they may still remain “illegal,” meaning the law may still allow police to confiscate them.
What is fentanyl? What does it look like?
The strips developed by the biotechnology company BTNX based in Toronto, Canada, are only sold to governments and harm reduction programs. CEO and founder Iqbal Sunderani said the state of California is his biggest customer. The approach aims to protect people who are engaged in higher-risk behaviour while at the same time, supporting them towards treatment and recovery. Seventy percent also said they would modify their behavior if they knew their drugs contained fentanyl, including avoiding the drugs, using them more slowly, or using them with others who have the antioverdose medication naloxone. The number of positive tests for fentanyl in samples of heroin seized by law enforcement agencies across Canada has grown from less than one per cent in 2012 to more than 60 per cent so far this year, exclusive data obtained by CBC News has revealed.
Local Health Departments
How Safe Injection Facilities Could Reduce Fentanyl Overdoses
Many local health departments and harm reduction organizations also distribute fentanyl test strips for free or at a low cost. These organizations may have outreach programs targeting individuals at risk of fentanyl overdose or those who use drugs recreationally. Contact your local health department or harm reduction organization to inquire about obtaining fentanyl test strips.
If they don’t have access to clean syringes, they may reuse or share needles, which increases their risk for HIV, hepatitis C and wounds. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we had more people in the Bay Area die from fentanyl than COVID-19, so fentanyl overdoses are really impacting our community. There are a lot of factors but one reason is that it can be made cheaply. It’s also often made as a white powder, which can easily be mixed or “cut” with other drugs like heroin to make them stronger, allowing people who sell drugs to make more profit. The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) does not provide medical advice.
MORE RESOURCES ABOUT FENTANYL TEST STRIPS:
Frequently Asked Questions
Syringe Service Program
Very often, it is mixed in with other drugs, such as heroin, coke, crack, and pressed pills, and is very difficult to detect. As a result, fentanyl in illicit drugs changes the landscape of opioid overdose dramatically. Testing drugs for the presence of fentanyl using fentanyl test strips can lower overdose risk. Learn more about fentanyl, how dangerous it is, how to use fentanyl test strips, and their limitations. In places where drug testing is legal, such as Canada and Europe, people who want to have their drugs tested most often need to bring their substances to specific locations. For instance, SIFs in Canada distribute FTS to their clients; however, clients must test their drugs in that same setting [51,52,53].
- Are fentanyl test strips accurate?
- How much do fentanyl test strips cost?
- Can fentanyl test strips detect other substances?
While fentanyl test strips can provide a useful indication of the presence of fentanyl in a substance, they are not foolproof. It’s important to follow the instructions carefully and consider other harm reduction strategies in addition to using test strips.
Fentanyl might not be everywhere evenly in your product, so if you only test a portion of your supply you might end up missing it. Most are at least 96% accurate in detecting fentanyl as well as many fentanyl analogs (drugs that are chemically similar but not identical to fentanyl). Fentanyl test strips are small strips of paper that were originally created to detect fentanyl in urine.
The cost of fentanyl test strips can vary depending on the retailer and quantity purchased. Prices typically range from a few dollars per strip to around $20 for multiple strips.
While fentanyl test strips are designed to specifically detect fentanyl, they may also react to other synthetic opioids. It’s always best to confirm any suspicions with additional testing if necessary.
By utilizing fentanyl test strips, individuals can make more informed decisions about their drug use and reduce the risk of accidental overdose. Whether purchased online or obtained through local resources, fentanyl test strips are a valuable tool in promoting harm reduction and saving lives.
