We are frequently asked about the options for testing a powder or residue found on a participant, or at a facility for the presence of Fentanyl. In other words, if during a routine check of the property (residential, inpatient, correctional facility, etc.), a powder substance or residue is found, the staff may want to test to see if the powder that is found is or contains Fentanyl.
The obvious reason to test is safety, as nobody wants themselves nor their staff to be exposed to Fentanyl without proper safety precautions. Another reason is harm prevention/reduction; some facilities may have reason to test a user’s “stash” to determine if it might be contaminated by Fentanyl. This same could hold true for a better awareness of what substances might be common in their neighborhood.
If you find yourself in one of the above situations (or for any other reason that I may have neglected to include), we have good news: the instant test for Fentanyl, with the aid of a readily available and relatively inexpensive buffer solution, will detect Fentanyl itself. So, in addition to the more common use of testing urine for Fentanyl use, the Fentanyl instant test makes for an excellent and reliable forensic test as well. It makes the most sense to do this with the Fentanyl single-panel, as opposed to multi-panel dip or cup. Although, while it would certainly also work on the multi-panel, it typically makes the most send cost-wise (and ease of use) with the single-panel.
The other good news is regarding the cut-off level/drug concentration: our currently most popular single-panel Fentanyl dip is calibrated to Norfentanyl (the primary metabolite of Fentanyl) at 20 ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter) but will also detect the Fentanyl itself at 200 ng/mL. So, while you might be encountering a very small amount of powder, keep in mind that a nanogram is one billionth of a gram. We can imagine that a microgram (one millionth of a gram) is about the smallest amount of substance we could see with our “bare” eyes. Then two “grains” is already 1,000 times more Fentanyl than what is needed to trigger a positive on the test strip.
Lastly, it is incredibly simple to use, as seen in the instructions below:
If you would like additional information on this or need to order the buffer solution to begin testing in your facility, please reach out to myself or your consultant.