Clinical Update

Aegis’s Novel Psychoactive Substances Testing Menu Update

In September, Aegis updated both urine and oral fluid novel psychoactive substance (NPS) test menus as a continued commitment to offering providers a contemporary testing option for NPS. The updates involve the addition of analytes which are newly circulating since the existing menu was deployed, as well as the deletion of analytes which are no longer circulating in the illicit drug supply. In this round of updates, there were additions and removals to designer opioids, designer benzodiazepines, synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic stimulants, and hallucinogen/dissociatives.

In September and October, Aegis detected 6,200 NPS analytes in healthcare samples when testing was ordered. While these figures may seem daunting, it is still an underrepresentation of actual positivity, as many samples received at Aegis do not include medical orders for NPS testing. A description of detection frequency and emphasis on new analytes detected in each class is included below.

Designer Benzodiazepines

Since September 1st, 8-aminoclonazolam is the most detected analyte, followed by bromazolam, and alpha-hydroxy flualprazolam. Newly added benzodiazepines detected include: 7-aminomeclonazepam and metizolam.

8-Aminoclonazolam 458
Bromazolam 253
alpha-Hydroxyflualprazolam 226
Flualprazolam 134
alpha-Hydroxyetizolam 121
Clonazolam 50
Etizolam 48
alpha-Hydroxyflubromazolam 20
Flubromazolam 19
Deschloroetizolam 16
Flubromazepam 7
7-aminomeclonazepam 3
Delorazepam 2
Metizolam 1

 

Designer Opioids

Since September 1st, fluoro fentanyl continues to be the most detected analyte, followed by despropionyl fluorofentanyl, and 4-hydroxy nitazene. Newly added designer opioids detected include: dipyanone, flunitazene, and N-piperidinyl etonitazene.

Fluoro Fentanyl 1438
Despropionyl Fluorofentanyl 1004
4-Hydroxy Nitazene 254
Valeryl Fentanyl Mtb 156
Metonitazene 134
N-desethyl Isotonitazene 59
Despropionyl Bromofentanyl 49
Benzyl Fentanyl 39
Valeryl Fentanyl 36
Acryl Fentanyl 12
Despropionyl Chlorofentanyl 5
Dipyanone 3
Fluoroisobutyryl Fentanyl 3
Protonitazene 3
Brorphine 2
Flunitazene 2
Butonitazene 1
Isotonitazene 1
N-piperidinyl Etonitazene 1

 

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Since September 1st, MDMB-4en-PINACA BA continues to be the most detected synthetic cannabinoid analyte, followed by ADB-BUTINACA NBA (new), 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA, and 5F-MDMB-PICA M7. Other newly detected analytes include: ADB-BUTINACA, ADB-FUBIATA metabolite, MDMB-5Br-INACA, ADB-FUBIATA BA, and ADB-HEXINACA NHA.

MDMB-4en-PINACA BA 158
ADB-BUTINACA NBA 34
4F-MDMB-BUTINACA N-BA 23
5F-MDMB-PICA M7 23
4F-MDMB-BUTINACA BA 17
4F-MDMB-BUTINACA N-BA 15
FUB-PB-22 3CI 9
5F-MDMB-PICA M8 6
ADB-BUTINACA 6
ADB-FUBIATA Metabolite 6
MDMB-5Br-INACA 6
MMB-FUBICA M3 6
5F-PB-22 3CI 5
ADB-FUBIATA BA 4
ADB-PINACA PA 4
MDMB-4en-PINACA 3
5F-MDMB-PICA/5F-EMB-PICA 2
4F-MDMB-BUTINACA N4HB 1
4F-MDMB-BUTINACA N4HB 1
5F-EMB-PICA HP/5F-MDMB-PICA M2 1
5F-MDMB-PICA M4 1
ADB-HEXINACA NHA 1
MMB-4en-PINACA BA 1

 

Synthetic Stimulants

Since September 1st, a newly added analyte, N,N-dimethyl pentylone is the most detected synthetic stimulant, followed by pentylone and eutylone. N-cyclohexyl methylone is another newly detected stimulant.

N,N-dimethyl Pentylone 40
Pentylone 31
Eutylone 11
Alpha-PiHP 10
N-cyclohexyl Methylone 5
Alpha-PHP 2
TFMPP 2
Butylone 1

 

Hallucinogens/Dissociatives

Since September 1st, 3-OH-PCP is the most detected hallucinogen/dissociative, followed by 3F-PCP, and 2F-Deschloronorketamine. There were no new analytes detected since September 1st.

3-OH-PCP 20
3F-PCP 10
2F-Deschloronorketamine 7

 

Miscellaneous NPS

Xylazine continues to be the most detected miscellaneous NPS, followed by phenibut and tianeptine. There were no new additions to this class in this update.

Xylazine 784
4-Hydroxyxylazine 296
Phenibut 48
Tianeptine 40

 

Aegis’s NPS offerings are developed to allow providers the ability to more completely identify substance use and afford them the opportunity to provide more informed care and minimize the potential for these unregulated substances to contribute to adverse events, including overdose deaths. This timely testing expansion increases the utility of oral fluid as an alternative to urine by allowing testing for NPS, which go undetected in traditional definitive testing.

Click here for our full NPS Testing Menu

NOTICE: The information above is intended as a resource for health care providers. Providers should use their independent medical judgment based on the clinical needs of the patient when making determinations of who to test, what medications to test, testing frequency, and the type of testing to conduct.

DOWNLOAD CLINICAL UPDATE



Sign up for the Aegis Newsletter

      Close