Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36901637›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2023

Challenges in Drug Surveillance: Strengthening the Analysis of New Psychoactive Substances by Harmonizing Drug Checking Services in Proficiency Testing.

Margot Balcaen, Mireia Ventura, Cristina Gil, Anton Luf, Daniel Martins, Mar Cunha, Karsten Tögel-Lins, Danny Wolf, Peter Blanckaert, Eric Deconinck

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Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Margot BalcaenUnit Illicit Drugs, Lifestyle and Chronic Diseases, Scientific Direction Epidemiology, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-1596-6540
Mireia VenturaEnergy Control, Associació Benestar i Desenvolupament, 08041 Barcelona, Spain.
Cristina GilEnergy Control, Associació Benestar i Desenvolupament, 08041 Barcelona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-2237-5594
Anton LufClinical Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0003-4013-7135
Daniel MartinsKosmicare, 1170-283 Lisbon, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-1317-2819
Mar CunhaKosmicare, 1170-283 Lisbon, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-9999-5885
Karsten Tögel-LinsLegal-high-Inhaltsstoffe, 60439 Frankfurt, Germany.
Danny WolfLegal-high-Inhaltsstoffe, 60439 Frankfurt, Germany.
Peter BlanckaertUnit Illicit Drugs, Lifestyle and Chronic Diseases, Scientific Direction Epidemiology, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Eric DeconinckService Medicines and Health Products, Scientific Direction Physical and Chemical Health Risks, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-6980-6684

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDrug checking is a proven harm reduction strategy and provides real-time information on the market of new psychoactive substances (NPS). It combines chemical analysis of samples with direct engagement with people who use drugs (PWUD), giving the ability to increase preparedness and responsiveness towards NPS. Next to that, it supports rapid identification of potential unwitting consumption. However, NPS cause a toxicological battle for the researchers, as factors such as the unpredictability and quick shift of the market complicate the detection.

methodsTo evaluate challenges posed towards drug checking services, proficiency testing was set up to evaluate existing analytical techniques and investigate the capability to correctly identify circulating NPS. Twenty blind substances, covering the most common categories of substances, were analyzed according to the existing protocols of the existing drug checking services, including several analytical methods such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography with diode array detector (LC-DAD).

resultsThe proficiency test scores range from 80 to 97.5% accuracy. The most common issues and errors are mainly unidentified compounds, presumably due to no up-to-date libraries, and/ or confusion between structural isomers, such as 3- and 4-chloroethcathinone, or structural analogs, such as MIPLA (N-methyl-N-isopropyl lysergamide) and LSD (D-lysergic acid diethylamide).

conclusionsThe participating drug checking services have access to adequate analytical tools to provide feedback to drug users and provide up-to-date information on NPS.

Indexed as

Harm ReductionPsychotropic DrugsChromatography, LiquidGas Chromatography-Mass SpectrometryHumansPsychotropic Drugsdrug checkingharm reductionlaboratory testingnew psychoactive substancessubstance usetoxicology

Identifiers

PMID36901637
PMCPMC10002093

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.