Drug Checking

You can test your substances in multiple ways, either through on-site or take-home fentanyl test strips or by visiting a technician using an FTIR Spectrometer. You can access drug-checking services at all overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites and through Get Your Drugs Tested in Vancouver or by mail.

What's in my Drugs? video - Learn more about what happens when a person goes to a drug-checking service.

The FTIR spectrometer is a device that is able to provide you with more detailed drug checking information than a fentanyl test strip. FTIR Technicians provide drug checking services st:

Insite (139 East Hastings)

• Monday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Tuesday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Wednesday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Thursday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Get Your Drugs Tested (GYDT) (880 East Hastings)

• Every day: 12 - 8 p.m.
• For more information, visit the Get Your Drugs Tested website.

A fentanyl test strip helps to identify whether or not there is fentanyl in your drug. These strips are also labelled with 'how to instructions" for people to refer to. Please note: there are limited quantities of strips available per visit.

Video instructions for using fentanyl test strips

Where to access take-home fentanyl test strips

Vancouver

• ACT/AOT/Car 87
• Covenant House
• Foundry Vancouver
• Get Your Drugs Tested (website)
• Heatley Clinic
• HIM Health Centre on Davie St
• Insite - Supervised Consumption Site
• Mobile Access Project (MAP Van)
• Molson Overdose Prevention Site
• MOPU
• Musqueam Nation
• Overdose Prevention Society
• Overdose Outreach Team 
• Raincity ACT Team
• Robert and Lily Lee Community Health Centre
• Sister Space
• Sister Square
• South Mental Health and Substance Use
• TD OPS
• Three Bridges Community Health 
• Tsleil Waututh Nation

Central Coast

• Bella Coola Nuxalk Nation Health Centre

Richmond

• Anne Vogel Clinic
• Foundry Richmond

North Shore

• Foundry North Shore
• Health Connections, North Shore
• Lion’s Gate Hospital
• Stepping Stones North Shore

Sea to Sky

• Musqueam Health Centre 
• Overdose Outreach Team 
• Sea to Sky Mental Health and Substance Use Services
• Whistler Community Services Society
• Whistler MHSU

Powell River

• Powell River Overdose Prevention Site

Sunshine Coast

• Gibsons Public Health 
• Sechelt MHSU
• Sechelt OPS (parking lot)

Send and receive toxic drug and health alerts by text.

Toxic drug and health alerts is a free, real-time text messaging service for anyone to receive toxic drug alerts or share information about toxic drugs in their community. This service is anonymous.

People can get other information by text message, like where to find naloxone or how to get drugs tested.

Toxic drug and health alerts are currently available in Interior, Fraser, Northern, Vancouver, and Vancouver Coastal Health regions.

To sign up, text the word JOIN to 253787 (ALERTS).

See recent alerts on Towards the Heart.