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The need for fentanyl-specific drug testing in your community

Opioids—mainly synthetic opioids (other than methadone)—are currently the main driver of drug overdose deaths. Opioids were involved in 68,630 overdose deaths in 2020 (74.8% of all drug overdose deaths)1. Overdose deaths from synthetic opioids continued to increase from 2020 to 2021.2

The need for fentanyl-specific drug testing in your community

Hand holding a syringe

A significant increase in misuse

In 2018, there were more deaths from synthetic opioids other than methadone than any other type of opioid.4,5

2020 has shown to be the deadliest year with respect to drug overdoses and fentanyl is largely responsible.6

The pandemic has caused a significant increase in drug overdoses and supply chain disruptions have cause a further shift to synthetics like fentanyl.6

Fentanyl deaths are up 38% from 2019.6

White pills

Fentanyl contamination

Drugs like heroin and cocaine are being laced with illicitly manufactured fentanyl with or without the user’s knowledge.13

Fentanyl is pressed into counterfeit pills that are labeled as Xanax and Oxycodone.7

Fentanyl testing allows for early warnings of supply contamination.11

Fentanyl is odorless, tasteless and colorless.8

Only a small amount of fentanyl is needed to cause death.9

Siemens Healthineers serves a variety of locations and industries with non-clinical drug testing solutions to identify misuse, monitor compliance, and enable early intervention and treatment.

Learn more about our dedicated testing systems and assays.

Healthcare professional taking a customer's information
1

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/deaths/index.html

2

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/202205.htm

3

https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates

4

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/fentanyl.html

5

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/fentanyl-le-reports.html

6

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p1218-overdose-deaths-covid-19.html

7

https://archives.drugabuse.gov/emerging-trends/fake-prescription-drugs-laced-fentanyl

8

https://www.stopoverdose.gov.bc.ca/theweekly/what

9

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/308156#fentanyl-overdose

10

https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/opioids/prevention/followup.html

11

https://ascpjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13722-018-0117-1

12

https://www.premierinc.com/newsroom/press-releases/opioid-overdoses-costing-u-s-hospitals-an-estimated-11-billion-annually

13

 https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/opioids/fentanyl.html

14

https://www.medstarharbor.org/2019/09/23/medstar-health-hospitals-are-first-in-maryland-to-offer-fentanyl-test-kits/

15

https://www.epicresearch.org/articles/only-5-of-overdose-patients-tested-for-fentanyl-1-killer-of-americans-18-45

16

https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/2022/9/the-economic-toll-of-the-opioid-crisis-reached-nearly-1-5-trillion-in-2020

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