A software framework for infrared spectral analysis in harm reduction drug checking

Background: Drug checking is a harm reduction intervention that uses chemical analytical methods to provide information on the composition of illicit drug mixtures. It is necessary to expand the reach of drug checks to fully meet the needs of populations who use drugs who are at risk of overdose. Technical barriers to drug checking, such as software that is challenging to use without extensive training and practice, hinder the expansion of these services.Objectives: This study describes the development, architecture, and deployment of a custom FTIR-based software framework. Components of this framework are useful across several models of drug checking.Methods: A kiosk application controls a spectrometer and uploads the spectral and survey data to a centralized database. An analysis suite facilitates spectral interpretation using libraries, a repository of previous data, and analysis tools. Individual drug checking results are accessible online. Aggregated data are viewed internally via a dashboard. Public-facing reports are tailored to different communities.Results: The software was successfully deployed with a total of 6 remote service sites operating by 2024. Between May 2022 and December 2024, 2673 drug samples were checked for 1926 clients, including hundreds accessing drug checking for the first time. Weekly and monthly reports of aggregate drug data were created.Conclusions: By lowering technical barriers and supporting real-time reporting, our software framework expanded service access and provided actionable data to both communities and public health stakeholders. This method represents a meaningful advancement in the technological infrastructure necessary to sustain and expand drug checking efforts.