From left, Armin Saatchi, VIU graduate student; Adam Walker, MLA for Parksville-Qualicum; Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions; Dr. Chris Gill, Co-Director of the Applied Environmental Research Laboratories; and Dr. Deborah Saucier, VIU President and Vice-Chancellor. Vancouver Island University Photo.
NANAIMO – Vancouver Island University has received $305,000 in provincial funding for HarmCheck, cutting-edge drug-checking technology developed by VIU and Victoria-based Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project.
HarmCheck utilizes high-throughput paper spray mass spectrometry to provide rapid drug-checking and can be used on-site as a harm reduction method. The funding will support setup costs, site upgrades and research staff.
HarmCheck provides results in one to two minutes, and detects and quantifies substances present in a sample, such as fentanyl, carfentanil, benzodiazepines and etizolam. A tiny sample is needed to deliver highly sensitive and accurate results, and almost 2,000 samples have been tested for people in Victoria.
“I am grateful to the provincial government for recognizing the important role universities play in addressing serious societal challenges,” says Vancouver Island University President and Vice-Chancellor Deborah Saucier. “This technology has the potential to save lives and help address one of the most critical and devastating challenges we face – the opioid epidemic. This funding provides the opportunity to further this research and contribute to the health and safety of Island residents while doing so.”
“With this technology, we can let people know what substances are in their drugs and, more importantly, how much of certain substances are present,” says VIU professor Chris Gill. “This has the potential to support and boost harm-reduction strategies and save lives.”
