Applied Environmental Research Laboratories researchers Dr. Chris Gill, left, and PhD candidate Scott Borden are developing a drug-testing method that could save lives. Photo courtesy VIU.
A drug-testing method being developed by researchers at Vancouver Island University is aimed a slowing the opioid overdose epidemic and saving lives.
VIU Chemistry professor Dr. Chris Gill is leading the research of a paper-spray mass spectrometry testing method, which determines the structure and composition of materials, that can provide results almost immediately for toxic substances.
The new method would give users accurate information on the exact drug contents in the product, providing information on potential risks and allow users to make safer choices.
VIU says samples of substances analyzed at a lab can take, at best, a day or two to come back and a positive test from existing methods such as test strips or IR spectroscopy doesn’t always distinguish from a wide range of substances.
Gill says his tests have detected 0.0003 per cent levels of toxic particles in a one-milligram sample and has identified specific substances and their quantities.
Island Health Medical Health Officer Dr. Paul Hasselback says the VIU research has the potential to deliver on three areas identified for improvements in drug testing – precision, timeliness and operation with limited training.
“With our test, it’s quite simple to provide both types of information – identification as well as concentration. And the kicker is that we can do it quickly,” Gill said in a release.
VIU says the method uses technology already utilized in other direct chemical detection applications.
The next step is to buy compact mass spectrometer systems, modify them and then implement them for on-site drug testing at Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS) in Nanaimo and Vancouver.
Gill says significant funding is required to get to that stage, adding “$500,000 would be enough to get a trial underway at one or two fixed locations within six months”.
According to Gill, additional funding would allow for the work required to reduce the size of the instrumentation to ease operations and get wider use in the community.
Officials say the mobile harm reduction units would significantly help reach drug users who do not use or have access to OPS.
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