Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41787434›Full record

ArticleHarm reduction journal2026

Impact of lab-based drug checking services on syringe service program engagement in Maryland, USA.

Caitlin M Berry, David Newton, Margaret Rybak, Gregory Malik Burnett, Marcela Najarro, Edward Sisco, Jasmine Lopes, Dennis Leber

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In one paragraph

Article in Harm reduction journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

8 authors.

Caitlin M Berry *Statistical Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA.
David Newton *Statistical Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA. david.newton@nist.gov.
Margaret RybakOffice of Harm Reduction, Maryland Department of Health, Behavioral Health Administration, 1223 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21223, USA. margaret.rybak@maryland.gov.
Gregory Malik BurnettCenter for Addiction Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus, 827 Linden Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
Marcela NajarroMaterials Measurement Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA.
Edward SiscoMaterials Measurement Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA.
Jasmine LopesOffice of Harm Reduction, Maryland Department of Health, Behavioral Health Administration, 1223 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21223, USA.
Dennis LeberStatistical Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe introduction of synthetic substances into the unregulated drug supply has driven a surge in overdose deaths, posing significant public health challenges in timely substance identification, engagement with people who use drugs (PWUD), and access to treatment. Maryland's rapid analysis of drugs (RAD) program, piloted through syringe service programs (SSPs), provides a proactive harm reduction strategy by integrating mail-in, laboratory based drug checking with broader public health services to enhance surveillance and improve engagement with PWUD. We aim to investigate the association of offering RAD drug checking with SSP metrics such as encounters with PWUD and access to wound care.

methodsTo investigate the association of RAD affiliation with SSP engagement and service metrics, a hierarchical linear model was employed to estimate percent changes in metrics such as encounters, naloxone distribution, and instances of overdose education. Metrics were analyzed on a log scale to account for skewness and variability across sites, with site-specific effects and random variation modeled to capture both baseline differences and the impact of RAD affiliation.

resultsSites that became RAD affiliated saw an increase in many of the recorded metrics, such as wound care services per quarter (131%) and the number of participants per quarter (74%) while other metrics, such as testing, showed smaller changes. When adjusting for baseline trends of non-RAD affiliated behavior, most of the metrics still trend towards a positive association with RAD affiliation, but only Wound Care and Counseling reach statistical significance given the small number of sites remaining non-RAD affiliated for the full duration of data collection.

conclusionParticipation in the RAD program shows a positive association with an increase in engagement and service delivery within Maryland's SSPs, suggesting it may be considered as a valuable public health intervention for improving outcomes for PWUD. However, further research is needed to explore causality and influence of factors like broader public health initiatives.

Indexed as

Drug ContaminationDrug OverdoseHarm ReductionNeedle-Exchange ProgramsHumansMarylandNaloxoneNarcotic AntagonistsNaloxoneNarcotic AntagonistsDrug checkingHarm reductionOverdosePreventionSyringe service program

Identifiers

PMID41787434
PMCPMC13077952

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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.