Save Lives Oregon partners across the state receive state-funded naloxone and other harm reduction supplies to reduce overdose deaths in their communities. Many partners have heard concerns from their communities about the increase of fentanyl in drugs in Oregon.
Fentanyl is a strong synthetic opioid that increases the risk of an overdose. Powdered fentanyl looks just like many other drugs. It may be mixed with in with drugs or in fake pills that look like prescription pills.
Fentanyl test strips are increasingly distributed by harm reduction organizations to help people detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs. Knowing if drugs contain fentanyl can help people reduce their risk of opioid overdose.
However, fentanyl test strips have some drawbacks. While fentanyl test strips can show if drugs contain fentanyl, they cannot show how much fentanyl is present or how strong the effect of the drugs will be. Also, depending on the drugs being tested and/or the method used to test, the results from fentanyl test strips may not be correct or reliable. Both false negatives and false positives can occur.
No matter what result a fentanyl test strip shows, it is important that people follow steps to reduce their overdose risk such as using slow, never using alone, and always having naloxone present.
We have several new instructional pamphlets for our partners to distribute with fentanyl test strips and naloxone. These pamphlets can be printed and folded to create “leave-behind” or harm reduction kits to distribute to people who use drugs to help them reduce their risk of opioid overdoses.
BTNX Fentanyl test strips
Nasal naloxone
Intramuscular naloxone
How to print and fold
- Print PDF on standard 8.5″ x 11″ white paper, standard copy or card stock. For printer settings, use landscape/horizontal orientation, actual size (not fit to paper), centered. Color is preferred, but B&W works too. The PDFs can be printed double-sided, flipping on the “short” side.
- Fold into three equal panels, creating a “Z” or accordion fold (not a roll fold, like a letter). For double-sided pamphlets, the headlines are to face outwards, front and back.
- To create a simple kit with fentanyl test strips and naloxone: Stack a z-folded fentanyl test strip and naloxone pamphlet together with the fentanyl instructions on top. Fold again in half, over the strip packages, and secure with a paper clip. If including naloxone, you can use a rubber band to attach the pamphlets.
