A brief take-home fentanyl test strip intervention for reducing overdose risk among women who use drugs: Results from a pilot study

Abstract Background In 2018, there were over 67,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States, with almost half involving illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. While overall age-adjusted drug overdose deaths decreased by 4.6% from 2017 to 2018, synthetic opioid deaths increased 10.0%. This pilot study evaluates the impact of a brief fentanyl test strip (FTS) intervention to increase fentanyl awareness and reduce overdose risk. Methods Female sex workers (FSW) reporting past month illicit opioid use were recruited between April 2018 through February 2019 in Baltimore City, Maryland. At baseline, they completed a baseline survey, and received tailored harm reduction messaging, 5 FTS and training, and a naloxone kit, then completed a survey after one month. McNemar\u0027s test was used to compare repeated measures. Results Among N=103, 54% were Conclusions We found high FTS acceptability and reductions in drug use frequency and solitary drug use following FTS use among FSW who use drugs in Baltimore. These findings demonstrate that FTS-based interventions hold potential in reducing overdose risk.