R01DA052580

Evaluating the Impact of Fentanyl Test Strip Use Among Rural and Urban Populations - Project Summary

The increasing pervasiveness of highly lethal fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in the illicit drug supply in the United States, including Ohio, has posed a substantial challenge for public health officials seeking interventions to reduce unintentional overdoses.

Rapid fentanyl test strips, designed to test for the presence of fentanyl and some fentanyl analogs in urine samples, are increasingly being used off-label by people who use drugs to test illicit drugs for fentanyl before consumption. Recent research indicates that when people who use drugs receive a positive fentanyl test result, they are more likely to perform overdose risk reduction behaviors (e.g., using less of the drug). However, due to the emergent nature of this harm reduction strategy, peer-reviewed published research on this topic is very limited.

We propose to test an intervention to provide fentanyl test strip education and distribution to people who use drugs in a subset of opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution sites in rural and urban counties in Ohio. The long-term goal of this research is the reduction of overdose-related morbidity and mortality in Ohio and nationally.

The research objectives of this study are:
1) Determine the feasibility and acceptability of providing fentanyl test strip education and testing materials distribution in existing opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution programs.
2) Determine if adding fentanyl test strip education and distribution to opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution programs decreases opioid overdose rates among people who use drugs.

Using a two-arm cluster-randomized trial design, we will answer the research objectives by testing the following 3 specific aims:
1) Determine the perceived barriers and facilitating factors associated with incorporating fentanyl test strip education and distribution in existing opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution programs in rural and urban counties.
2) Test the hypothesis that people who use drugs who receive fentanyl test strip education and testing materials as part of an opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution program will have improved knowledge and self-efficacy regarding how to test drugs for fentanyl and strategies for lowering their risk of an opioid overdose.
3) Test the hypothesis that individuals who receive fentanyl test strip education and testing materials as part of an opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution program will have a lower opioid overdose rate than individuals who receive opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution only ("usual practice").

Fentanyl test strip use is becoming more common, but research supporting the practice is limited. We will investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and associated benefits and harms of integrating fentanyl test strip education and distribution into existing opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution programs in rural and urban communities.

Research Institute At Nationwide Children's Hospital

TO SUPPORT BASIC AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE, BIOMEDICAL, BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCE, EPIDEMIOLOGIC, HEALTH SERVICES AND HEALTH DISPARITY RESEARCH. TO DEVELOP NEW KNOWLEDGE AND APPROACHES RELATED TO THE PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, ETIOLOGY, AND CONSEQUENCES OF DRUG ABUSE AND ADDICTION, INCLUDING HIV/AIDS. TO SUPPORT RESEARCH TRAINING AND RESEARCH SCIENTIST DEVELOPMENT. TO SUPPORT DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) LEGISLATION IS INTENDED TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAMS TO EMPHASIZE AND INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED THROUGH FEDERAL SBIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN THE SBIR PROGRAM. THE LEGISLATION INTENDS THAT THE SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.279 - Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) [HHS - NIH]

Columbus, Ohio 432052664 United States

Single Zip Code

Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required) (PA-20-183)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 04/30/26 to 04/30/27 and the total obligations have increased 380% from $707,366 to $3,392,442.