Carfentanil Extends Deadly Reach
Millennium Health Signals Alert™ Shows Carfentanil Extends Deadly Reach
New report identifies concerning uptick in detections of the lethal fentanyl analogue across the U.S. since reemerging in 2023
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – September 24, 2024 – Carfentanil was detected 134 times in urine drug test (UDT) results in 21 states from July 2023 to June 2024 (see Map) compared to only 11 times in six states during the preceding three years.
Carfentanil Detection by State (July 2023 – June 2024)
Fearing a spike in fatal overdoses like those that occurred in 2016-2017 when drug seizure exhibits containing carfentanil surged, public health officials in multiple states, including New York and Ohio, have recently issued warnings about carfentanil’s reemergence.
The analysis of more than 158,000 fentanyl-positive UDT specimens also showed that carfentanil use is associated with significantly higher rates of other drug use, including methamphetamine, xylazine, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and other fentanyl analogues.
“Because carfentanil is 100-times more potent than fentanyl and appearing in so many states, public health authorities are right to be worried,” said Angela Huskey, PharmD, CPE. “Given its history of contributing to overdose outbreaks and the volatility of these trends, we are monitoring carfentanil closely and will provide timely updates to raise awareness of its presence in our communities.”
The full Signals Alert can be accessed here.
About Millennium Health
Millennium Health is an accredited specialty laboratory providing medication monitoring via definitive urine and oral fluid drug tests to support improved clinical decision-making as part of treatment for millions of Americans with chronic pain, mental illness, substance use disorders, and other health conditions. Drug testing is used to obtain objective information about patients’ recent use of prescription medications and/or illicit drugs and helps monitor the effectiveness of treatment plans. We also conduct real-time tracking of emerging drug use trends to help researchers, public health officials, and policymakers address the significant increase in drug overdose deaths.
Media Contact
Jody Schneider
Millennium Health
Jody.Schneider@millenniumhealth.com
(619) 917-6810
