The Food and Drug Administration has approved over-the-counter sales of fentanyl test strips, a harm reduction tool that allows individuals to detect the presence of fentanyl in illicit drugs. The decision is expected to significantly expand access to the strips.
"Harm reduction strategies save lives," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf. "These test strips provide a simple, affordable way for people to make informed decisions about drug use and reduce their risk of fatal overdose."
The strips work by detecting fentanyl at concentrations as low as 0.05 percent, alerting users to the presence of the potent synthetic opioid that is responsible for the majority of overdose deaths in the United States.
Overdose prevention advocates praised the decision as a crucial step toward reducing fatalities. "Every step we take to prevent overdose deaths is a step toward keeping people alive until they can access treatment," said Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta of the University of North Carolina.
Critics have argued that test strips do not address the underlying problem of drug use. "We should not be making drug use safer; we should be helping people stop using drugs entirely," said Recovery Advocacy Project Director Mark Reynolds.