The NPS landscape is changing rapidly, requiring laboratories to constantly remain abreast of new and emerging drugs locally, nationally, and internationally. To meet individualized needs, laboratories amend existing methods or develop new ones for detection and confirmation. This can be challenging for scientists as information about NPS detections can be regionalized and/or out-of-date, making it difficult to determine which drugs should be prioritized at a given time. The CFSRE and the SOFT NPS Committee have established the below recommendations for NPS scope based on information from extensive collaborations, partnerships, and initiatives which yield national perspectives. For more information about our scope recommendations, email our program manager at: npsdiscovery@cfsre.org.
Most Recent Recommendations from Q3 2024
Benzodiazepines
Opioids
Stimulants & Hallucinogens
Synthetic Cannabinoids
Tier One (Strongly Recommend)
Bromazolam
1-10
Metonitazene
<1
2F-2-oxo-PCE / Fluoroexetamine
1-10
MDMB-4en-PINACA
<1
Desalkylgidazepam
1-10
Protonitazene
<1
NN-Dimethylpentylone
>10
5F-MDMB-PINACA (5F-ADB)
<1
Flubromazepam
1-10
Carfentanil
<1
Pentylone
>10
ADB-BINACA (-BUTINACA)
<1
Etizolam
1-10
o/m/p-Fluorofentanyl
1-10
alpha-PiHP / alpha-PHP
>10
ADB-4en-PINACA
<1
Flualprazolam
1-10
o/m/p-Methylfentanyl
1-10
Eutylone
>10
MDMB-BINACA (-BUTINACA)
<1
Tier Two (Recommend)
Desalkylflurazepam
1-10
N-Pyrrolidino Etonitazene
<1
2/3/4-Methylmethcathinone
>10
5F-MDMB-PICA
<1
Clonazolam
<1
N-Pyrrolidino Protonitazene
<1
2/3/4-Chloromethcathinone
>10
ADB-5’Br-BINACA
<1
8-Aminoclonazolam
1-10
N-Desethyl Isotonitazene
<1
MDPHP
>10
MDMB-PICA
<1
Pyrazolam
1-10
N-Desethyl Etonitazene
<1
N-Cyclohexyl Methylone
>10
AB-CHMINACA
<1
Tier Three (Consider)
Desalkylquazepam
1-10
N-Pyrrolidino Metonitazene
<1
2C-B
<1
ADB-5’Br-PINACA
<1
Flubromazolam
1-10
Etodesnitazene
1-10
N-Cyclohexyl Butylone
>10
MMB-4en-PINACA
<1
Deschloroetizolam
1-10
5-Methyl Etodesnitazene
<1
N-Propyl Butylone
>10
4F-MDMB-BICA
<1
Phenazolam
1-10
Methylenedioxynitazene
<1
3-Methyl-PCP / 4-Methyl-PCP
<1
4F-MDMB-BINACA
<1
Note: This may not be an all-inclusive list. Laboratories should consider additional NPS for inclusion (or exclusion) based on local, national, and/or international trends.
Note: Listed next to each NPS are suggested cut-off concentrations or reporting limits (in ng/mL). These values were determined based on currently available quantitative data and/or comparison to structurally similar NPS within the given sub-class. Arrows before the NPS name indicate how the drugs is moving among the tiers in comparison to the previous quarterly recommendation (no arrow indicates no change in tier).
