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Related Experiment Videos

Drug checking identifies counterfeit alprazolam tablets.

Samuel Tobias1, Aaron M Shapiro2, Cameron J Grant1

  • 1British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 2A9, Canada.

Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|October 31, 2020
PubMed
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Counterfeit alprazolam tablets are prevalent in Canada's unregulated drug market, often containing unknown substances instead of the expected drug. Drug checking services are vital for identifying these dangerous counterfeit pharmaceuticals.

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Chemistry
  • Public Health
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Non-prescribed benzodiazepine use, particularly among youth, is rising in North America.
  • Counterfeit benzodiazepine tablets are increasingly manufactured in unregulated settings and sold illicitly.
  • This study investigated the composition of counterfeit alprazolam tablets from British Columbia's unregulated drug market.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the contents of counterfeit alprazolam tablets obtained from the unregulated drug market.
  • To assess the accuracy of point-of-care drug checking technologies for identifying counterfeit pharmaceuticals.
  • To highlight the risks associated with using counterfeit medications.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from a community drug checking service in British Columbia (October 2017-March 2020).
Keywords:
AlprazolamDrug checkingEtizolamFentanylHarm reduction

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  • Employed Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and benzodiazepine immunoassay strips for point-of-care analysis.
  • Conducted confirmatory analyses using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, and quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance.

    • Main Results:

    • Out of 139 suspected alprazolam tablets, only 33 (23.7%) contained alprazolam via FTIR analysis.
    • Benzodiazepine immunoassay strips tested positive in 88 (72.1%) of 122 samples.
    • Confirmatory analysis of 20 samples revealed various novel psychoactive substances; only 2 contained solely alprazolam.

    Conclusions:

    • Tablets sold as Xanax (alprazolam) from unregulated sources are frequently counterfeit and may lack the active ingredient.
    • Community drug checking services provide essential harm reduction information but have technological limitations.
    • Public awareness and further research are needed regarding the prevalence and risks of counterfeit pharmaceuticals.