Table 1 Overview of major themes for implementation of drug checking services
From: A qualitative assessment of key considerations for drug checking service implementation
Level | Identified Themes | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
Micro (Considerations at the client level) | Accessibility | Mobile services are desirable to increase accessibility |
| Â | Privacy | Maintaining client privacy and anonymity are fundamental to drug checking service success |
| Â | Lived Experience | Lived experience was emphasized as a highly desirable characteristic of drug checking service staff to promote trust |
Meso (Consideration at the drug checking service level) | Technologies | FTIRa was the most suggested technology for drug checking. Participants emphasized quantitative capabilities, the wide breadth of substances that can be detected, portability, and lower cost compared to mass spectrometry |
| Â | Confirmatory Testing | Confirmatory testing is necessary to overcome technical limitations to drug checking technologies and to aid in validation of technician training |
| Â | Staff: Experience and Training | Standardization of technician training was stressed by participants |
| Â | Location | Candidates for offering drug checking services are preferably existing harm reduction agencies trusted by potential clients in locations that maximize the potential public health impact |
| Â | Funding | Integration of drug checking with other services is crucial to provide plausible deniability for clients due to stigma |
| Â | Integration of Services | Self-evaluation is important to ensure client-centered services |
| Â | Program Evaluation | Lack of funding remains a major barrier to drug checking services |
Macro (Considerations at the inter-organizational, state or policy level) | Data Sharing | Great interest was expressed in data sharing between drug checking services to better inform clients of drug trends |
| Â | Partnerships | Partnerships were suggested to facilitate confirmatory testing, and data sharing |
| Â | Legality | Legality of samples for testing remains a major barrier for clients and drug checking service staff |
| Â | Legitimacy | Recognition of the legitimacy of harm reduction services is crucial to increase utilization and promote public health |
| Â | Advisory Panel | Forming an advisory panel for drug checking implementation may be a beneficial resource, but caution should be expressed to ensure no conflicts of interest |