Urine drug test concentrations increased for fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine

TUESDAY, Oct. 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Absolute concentrations of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in urine samples increased from 2013 to 2023, according to a study published online Oct. 24 JAMA network opened.

Andrew S. Huhn, Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues analyzed urine drug test (UDT) results to quantify changes in absolute drug exposure concentrations from 2013 to 2023. The analysis included 921,931 unique UDT samples.

The researchers found that the adjusted concentration of fentanyl in urine samples was 38.23 ng/mg creatinine in 2023, up from 4.61 ng/mg in 2013. The adjusted concentration of methamphetamine was 3,461.59 ng/mg creatinine in 2023, up from 4.61 ng/mg in 2013 665.27 ng/mg in 2013 The adjusted cocaine concentration was 1,122.23 ng/mg creatinine in 2023, an increase from 559.71 ng/mg in 2013. The adjusted heroin concentration was 58.36 ng/mg creatinine in the year 2023, a decrease from 146.59 ng/mg in 2013. There were differences in drug concentrations across U.S. census divisions.

“The results suggest that exposure to these substances and the supply of illicit drugs have fundamentally changed in many parts of the United States, highlighting the need to increase surveillance initiatives and efforts to treat individuals with illicitly manufactured fentanyl and/or stimulants to accelerate exposure,” the authors write.

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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