A fast, cheap test to see if street drugs contain fentanyl is gaining favor with researchers and drug outreach workers as a breakthrough in preventing overdoses and slowing the nation’s growing death toll from opioid abuse.

However, practical, safety and legal concerns about the fentanyl test strips, including those raised by the manufacturer itself, have slowed the product’s usage nationally and limited its potential to change the behavior and, possibly, the lives of illicit drug users.

"The last thing I want for people to do is to test a supply of drugs, see that it’s negative for fentanyl and assume that it's safe,” Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen said. “That’s a major concern because, first it may be inaccurate. And second, there are other fentanyl derivatives that may not be picked up with this test.”

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