New to Drug Checking - start here

New to Drug Checking & Beginner Resources

The resources listed below can be helpful for organizations and individuals that are new to drug checking or thinking about starting to offer community-based drug checking services at their program.

StreetCheck App

StreetCheck is an innovative community-partnered project at Brandeis University’s Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC) to develop and standardize sample collection and reporting for community drug checking programs. The vision of StreetCheck streamlines community illicit drug sample collection through the use of a mobile based application, speeds analysis of the samples, and makes it easier to communicate results back. Download the app, watch a demo, or get more information.

StreetCheck is available at no cost and can integrate results from any lab performing off-site testing. If you are doing research about drug checking, StreetCheck has additional data collection options to protect privacy and confidentiality, and approved protocols useful for researchers. Contact us to learn more.

Drug Checking as Harm Reduction: Responding to the drug supply I Drug Researchers Roundtable (1:27:38)

This video from Drug Policy Alliance provides a snapshot of national and regional drug supply trends from drug checking laboratory data and discusses how harm reduction programs are using this information to help keep communities safe.

Drug Checking - Presented By Folks Who Aren't Scientists

This is a resource for folks unfamiliar with drug checking and discusses the how and why we provide drug checking services and ways to talk about it with you program participants.

Onsite Drug Checking Technology Purchase and Partnership Considerations

This document is intended to equip community-based organizations to make informed decisions about partnering with a for-profit drug checking venture or purchasing an onsite drug checking technology.
Implementing Community Drug Checking in the United States: Considerations for Early-On, Evolving,
and Advancing Programs

This document is intended to advance the discussion of community drug checking at each stage of implementation.
Trans European Drug Information (TEDI) Guidelines: Drug Checking Methodology

This document is a technical guide that provides information about drug checking techniques for those who are considering starting a drug checking program.
National Council for Mental Health Wellbeing: Enhancing Harm Reduction Services in Health Departments, Fentanyl Test Strips and Other Drug Checking Equipment

This document gives an overview of how harm reduction methods such as FTS and drug checking can be implemented within health departments.

Helpful Tools for Talking with Program Participants & Learning About the Drug Supply

Drug Checking Sample Reference Card

This card is a resource to help you determine in the field if a sample is eligible to be submitted for drug checking. Contact us for an editable version if you want to brand it for your own program.
The Cut

The Cut is a plain-language summary of community drug checking alerts and other information for the community.
British Columbia Centre on Substance Use Drug Checking Project: Fentanyl Resources
- Fentanyl Quantification and Messaging
- Fentanyl Quantification Procedures
FTIR Component Designation Guidelines

This guide was developed for StreetCheck users to reference when conducting FTIR analysis.