Piloting a Point-of-Care Drug-Checking Service at Syringe Service Programs in New York City

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Harm Reduction
• Drug Policy

Background:

• Drug checking is a vital harm reduction strategy for safer drug use.
• High overdose rates necessitate innovative interventions for unregulated drug supplies.
• The NYC DOHMH launched a pilot program for point-of-care drug checking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of point-of-care drug checking.
• To provide actionable information on drug contents to people who use drugs (PWUD).
• To evaluate the impact of drug checking on harm reduction behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Drug checking services were implemented at 6 sites using test strips and spectrometers.
• Staff received training on drug analysis, interpretation, and harm reduction education.
• Participant data and drug sample information were collected via a REDCap database.

Main Results:

• Over 1600 samples were analyzed from November 2021 to December 2023.
• Fentanyl was present in 95% of samples sold as opioids; xylazine in 35%.
• Over 50% of participants intended to change their drug use behavior post-testing.

Conclusions:

• Point-of-care drug checking is feasible and acceptable for health departments and PWUD.
• Drug checking can potentially influence behavioral intentions for safer drug use.
• Robust training, appropriate technology, and secondary testing are crucial for implementation.