Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Color Spot Test As a Presumptive Tool for the Rapid Detection of Synthetic Cathinones
Published on: February 5, 2018
Pharmacological content of tablets sold as "ecstasy": results from an online testing service
1Department of Sociology, VU Station B Box 351811, Vanderbilt University, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235-1811, USA. emily.e.tanner-smith@vanderbilt.edu
Purpose:
This study examined the pharmacological content of tablets sold as ecstasy, the variation of tablet content by geographic region, and change in tablet content between 1999 and 2005.
Methods:
The sample was comprised of tablets anonymously submitted for laboratory testing between 1999 and 2005 (n=1214). Tablet height, width, geographic region, and year of submission were all used to predict the pharmacological content of the tablets.
Results:
Overall, 39% of the tablets were comprised of MDMA only, 46% only contained substances other than MDMA and 15% were mixtures of MDMA and other substances. Tablet height and width were inversely related to tablet purity. Ecstasy tablets from California and Florida had decreased likelihoods of containing non-MDMA substances. The purity of tablets decreased over time, which was largely a result of an increasing number of tablets comprised of MDMA along with other substances.
Conclusions:
Ecstasy users may be putting themselves at increased risk of substance-induced anxiety, mood, and psychotic disorders by unknowingly ingesting substances other than MDMA. To decrease detrimental health effects, prevention programs should emphasize the impurity of ecstasy tablets and focus on the health impacts of these substances, particularly for populations at high-risk of substance-induced disorders.
More Related Videos
10:17High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: April 23, 2019
08:56Detection of Regulated Ergot Alkaloids in Food Matrices by Liquid Chromatography-Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometry-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry
Published on: November 22, 2024
Related Concept Videos
CNS Stimulants: Psychedelic Agents
Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Polymorphic Form-Related and Particle Size-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence
Formulation and Manufacturing Process: Physical Attributes of Generic Tablets and Capsules
Drug Regulation
Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Excipients and Impurities-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence
Pharmacovigilance
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...