Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are a growing public health threat, with fentanyl-laced counterfeit pharmaceuticals contributing dangerously to the ongoing opioid crisis. Molecular analytical advancements are vital for the rapid, precise identification and regulation of counterfeit products.
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Although first synthesized as a clinical intravenous analgesic by Paul Janssen in 1960, fentanyl quickly became a commonly prescribed drug for the treatment of chronic pain. Higher in potency than morphine and cheaper to synthesize, fentanyl was deemed a highly effective, affordable choice.1
The incredibly addictive nature of fentanyl has been a main driver of its misuse. An average of 60,000,000 people annually are reported to have fentanyl use disorder in the Americas, resulting in 100,000 fentanyl-related deaths. Over-prescription and inadequate regulation of this controlled substance have further fuelled its misuse, resulting in a third opioid crisis wave in North America.2
Fentanyl contaminated counterfeit pharmaceuticals
Counterfeit controlled pharmaceuticals, packaged as reputable brands like Xanax, OxyContin, and Norco, are being synthesized with fentanyl as opposed to the standard active pharmaceutical chemical. The majority of consumers are unaware that they are consuming counterfeit pills and believe they are taking authentic pharmaceutical drugs. Many victims have resultantly died from accidental overdose after mistaken consumption of a drug their body is, very likely, unacquainted with.3
The fraction of illicit fentanyl in pill form seized by US law enforcement rose from 10% to 49%. Between 2017 and 2023.4 The severity of this issue was raised by the DEA when a public warning was put out, followed by their launching of the “One Pill Can Kill” campaign.5
The development of precise, sensitive, selective, and rapid molecular analytical techniques for effective examination and detection of such illicit substances is urgently required to regulate and control this counterfeit fentanyl crisis successfully.
Forensic identification of fentanyl counterfeit drugs
Quick and simple to perform, chemical color tests are a traditional screening method for forensic drug analysis. However, these simple tests lack the specificity required for the identification of a lot of synthetic drugs, resulting in false negative results.6 A more sensitive approach was achieved with chromatography and immunoassay techniques, but the molecular specificity necessary for the precise identification of fentanyl counterfeits is still lacking.7
Raman spectroscopy offers extremely high molecular selectivity and specificity, providing precise, rapid identification of illicit substances. The emergence of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy with highly enhanced electromagnetic fields derived from the nearby metal nanostructures has resulted in even higher specificity and sensitivity, making it a vital player in the advanced analysis of illicit drugs.7
Precise and rapid detection of fentanyl with Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Spectroscopy
In 2022, the DEA seized enough fentanyl that could have theoretically killed the whole population of the United States. However, no standard method of high-throughput analytical assays currently exists without the need for complex and expensive sample handling.8
A novel array technique will be discussed at Pittcon during the presentation, “Nanoparticle Decorated Porous Micropillars as SERS and ESI-MS Substrates for Ultrasensitive Synthetic Drug Analysis in Blood Plasma” by Rajesh Sardar (Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at IU Indianapolis and full member of IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center).8
After starting his career at Calcutta University and the Indian Institute of Technology, where he obtained his B.Sc and M.Sc. degrees in chemistry, Rajesh moved to the States in 2001. He conducted his PhD – researching polymer-based synthesis of metal nanocrystals with unique optical properties – at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. His interest in biological systems, biosensors, forensic science, and toxicology took him to the University of North Carolina, where he worked with Professor Royce Murray as a post-doctoral fellow researching electrochemical charge storage properties of metal nanocrystals.9
During the above presentation, Rajesh Sardar will showcase the invention of metal-nanoparticle-decorated micropillar arrays, the first of its kind. These are both a SERS substrate and a substrate-supported electrospray ionization mass spectrometry sample prep/ionization platform. Fabricated hydrophilic polydimethylsiloxane (porous to 10 – 200 micrometers, with extremely sharp tips) increases the sensitivity by allowing the drug preconcentration through the micropillar as a form of solid-state microextraction.8
With this method, several synthetic drugs and drug analogs can be analyzed simultaneously, offering a high throughput analytical detection tool. Rajesh and his research team believe that “the methodology can be adopted by forensic toxicology labs” because it “has the unique potential to detect, quantify, and identify the most potent drugs from human biofluids with a minimum sample preparation”.8
Pittcon will highlight the rapid detection of fentanyl and other novel pharmaceutical substances with SERS. The presentation “The application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in the detection of fentanyl and other NPS” by Bruce McCord, an expert in forensic analysis and Professor of Analytical and Forensic Chemistry at Florida International University (FIU), will delve into the use of nanostar-based colloids.10
When combined with a variety of aggregating agents, nanostar-based colloids provide a rapid and highly sensitive method to detect fentanyl and its analogs. Now, even portable devices can achieve sub-nanogram detection limits, making this technique much more applicable in the regulation of counterfeit pharmaceuticals.10
Bruce McCord was awarded his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986 and worked as an Assistant Professor at Ohio University from 1998-2004. With a research focus on forensic analysis, including both chemical and bioanalytical assays, his distinguished contributions to the field of Criminalistics received him the Paul Kirk Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in 2008. He is now the Deputy Editor for the journal Electrophoresis, Editor for Forensic Sciences (MDPI), and a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Forensic Chemistry.11
Discover more at Pittcon
Raman spectroscopy methods, including SERS, are at the forefront of the identification of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Pittcon provides the all-important stage for the research and development of such precise and rapid molecular analytical techniques, highlighting their importance in the regulation of illicit, counterfeit pharmaceuticals.
SERS is one of many methods that hold incredible promise in helping to combat the current counterfeit crisis. Its development will be crucial for illicit fentanyl regulation. Discover more about molecular analytical methods in combatting counterfeit products at Pittcon.
References
- Suzuki, J. and El-Haddad, S. (2017). A review: Fentanyl and non-pharmaceutical fentanyls. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 171, pp.107–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.033.
- Volkow, N.D. (2021). The epidemic of fentanyl misuse and overdoses: challenges and strategies. World Psychiatry, (online) 20(2), pp.195–196. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20846.
- Coleman, J. and Dupont, R. Fentanyl as Sentinel: The Deadly Threat of Illegal Synthetic and Counterfeit Drugs. (online)] Available at: https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/BG3436.pdf.
- Friedman, J. and Ciccarone, D. (2025). The public health risks of counterfeit pills. The Lancet Public Health, 10(1), pp.e58–e62. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2468-2667(24)00273-1.
- Arya, S., et al. (2022). Fentanyl in Pressed Oxycodone Pills: A Qualitative Analysis of Online Community Experiences with an Emerging Drug Trend. Substance Use & Misuse, pp.1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2022.2120365.
- Ott, C., et al. (2023). Targeted fentanyl screening utilizing electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (EC-SERS) applied to authentic seized drug casework samples. NIST. (online) Available at: https://www.nist.gov/publications/targeted-fentanyl-screening-utilizing-electrochemical-surface-enhanced-raman.
- Wang, H., et al. (2021). Rapid SERS Quantification of Trace Fentanyl Laced in Recreational Drugs with a Portable Raman Module. Analytical Chemistry, 93(27), pp.9373–9382. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c00792.
- Pittcon. (2025). Nanoparticle Decorated Porous Micropillars as SERS and ESI-MS Substrates for Ultrasensitive Synthetic Drug Analysis in Blood Plasma. (online) Available at: https://labscievents.pittcon.org/event/pittcon-2025/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfMjQ1Mzk0Nw== (Accessed 31 Jan. 2025).
- Pittcon. 2025. https://labscievents.pittcon.org/event/pittcon-2025/person/RXZlbnRQZW9wbGVfMzU2MDM4MjY=. Accessed 28 January 2025.
- Pittcon. (2025). Attend networking events and meet the right people with the LabSci by Pittcon event app. (online) Available at: https://labscievents.pittcon.org/event/pittcon-2025/person/RXZlbnRQZW9wbGVfMzU2MDM4MjY= (Accessed 31 Jan. 2025).
- Pittcon. (2025). Attend networking events and meet the right people with the LabSci by Pittcon event app. (online) Available at: https://labscievents.pittcon.org/event/pittcon-2025/person/RXZlbnRQZW9wbGVfMzU2MDM4NTQ= (Accessed 31 Jan. 2025).
About Pittcon
Pittcon is the world’s largest annual premier conference and exposition on laboratory science. Pittcon attracts more than 16,000 attendees from industry, academia and government from over 90 countries worldwide.
Their mission is to sponsor and sustain educational and charitable activities for the advancement and benefit of scientific endeavor.
Pittcon’s target audience is not just “analytical chemists,” but all laboratory scientists — anyone who identifies, quantifies, analyzes or tests the chemical or biological properties of compounds or molecules, or who manages these laboratory scientists.
Having grown beyond its roots in analytical chemistry and spectroscopy, Pittcon has evolved into an event that now also serves a diverse constituency encompassing life sciences, pharmaceutical discovery and QA, food safety, environmental, bioterrorism and cannabis/psychedelics.
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