Considerations for Purchasing Drug Checking Technologies: Perspectives from Toronto’s Drug Checking Service

Abstract

With the unregulated drug supply—particularly the unregulated opioid supply—becoming increasingly more toxic, more contaminated, and less predictable, drug checking has emerged as an essential public health service: informing individuals who use drugs, as well as those who care and advocate for them, in real-time. For those looking to offer drug checking services in community settings, choosing a technology can be an arduous task. With very little regulatory oversight of drug checking technologies, it can be difficult for organizations that specialize in harm reduction to ascertain what questions to ask drug checking technology vendors to ensure they invest in a technology that best suits the needs of their community. Looking to help those that lack drug checking and technical expertise, Toronto’s Drug Checking Service has compiled a list of questions to equip organizations to make informed decisions when it comes to purchasing drug checking technologies. Having developed and operated a drug checking service since 2018, Toronto’s Drug Checking Service is uniquely positioned to share its expertise and insights.