Portable gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in drug checking: Detection of carfentanil and etizolam in expected opioid samples

Background: There has been a recent increase in adulteration of opioids with low concentration actives such as fentanyl analogues and benzodiazepines. As drug checking projects using vibrational spectroscopy continue to seek confirmatory lab-based testing, the concern and reality of missing these potentially harmful substances in point-of-care testing is prevalent. Methods: A portable GC-MS was used to analyze select opioid samples acquired at a drug checking service in Victoria, Canada (n = 59). Certified reference standards of several fentanyl analogues and benzodiazepines were measured to guide targeted analysis of these samples. Results were compared with those obtained using a lab- based paper spray mass spectrometer. Results: Portable GC-MS was able to identify 62% of samples containing carfentanil and 36% of samples containing etizolam. In the case of etizolam, the success rate was higher for more potent samples: 78% of etizolam-containing samples were identified when the etizolam concentration was above 3% by weight. In comparison, infrared spectroscopy was able to detect etizolam in only 9% of the etizolam-containing samples, and is not sensitive enough to detect carfentanil at relevant concentrations. Conclusions: Portable GC-MS has potential in identifying low concentration substances in a point-of-care setting, without relying on subsequent off-site confirmatory testing. This project was funded by a grant from the Health Canada Substance Use and Addictions program, with additional support from the Vancou- ver Foundation. LG and MR are grateful to the Natural Sciences and En- gineering Research Council of Canada for CGS-M scholarships, and LG thanks the University of Victoria Department of Chemistry for a GRACE scholarship. This article was originally published as: Gozdzialski, L., Aasen, J., Larnder, A., Ramsay, M., Borden, S.A., Saatchi, A., Gill, C.G., Wallace, B., & Hore, B. (2021). Portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in drug checking: Detection of carfentanil and etizolam in expected opioid samples. International Journal of Drug Policy, 97, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103409 This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/24519/Gill.IJDP.2021.pdf?sequence=3