Key Takeaways
- Nearly 6,600 Xyalzine vials manufactured to-date.
- Increased reliability in tests for Xylazine across healthcare networks.
- Improved ability to identify and isolate the source of QC failures.
Problem: A Lack of a Control in the Fight Against Fentanyl
As the opioid epidemic has evolved, a new threat has emerged in the form of Xylazine. A veterinary sedative, Xylazine has been increasingly combined with drugs like fentanyl.
The rise of Xylazine presented several challenges for one healthcare network operating 33 hospitals across 9 states. Xylazine is a respiratory depressant, which introduces a higher risk of fatal overdoses. But it’s a non-opioid sedative, which means naloxone is ineffective as an antidote. The healthcare network faced a critical need to test against this emerging threat within the communities its hospitals serve.
The decentralized nature of the network’s operations introduced significant challenges in efforts to detect Xylazine. Multiple sites within the network conducted similar tests for the drug, and each used different QCs. If an issue arose, a lab couldn’t easily determine whether the QC or the test was to blame.
This lack of standardization raised serious concerns about the reliability of test results across the network. To solve this urgent problem, they turned to UTAK to develop a solution that would streamline their processes while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy for testing.
Solution: Develop a New Custom QC for Xylazine Testing
UTAK leveraged our custom quality control expertise to develop a comprehensive solution. No one else had developed a QC to test for Xylazine, which meant we were breaking new ground. In other words, we were right in our comfort zone.
Our engineering team has been developing custom 3rd party QCs for years, and we have robust documentation to support part creation. We were able to troubleshoot testing methods with this healthcare network and advise them on what they were running in parallel, how long material was left out, and propose different solutions.
Not every 3rd party QC company is comfortable with this kind of collaboration. We are.
Customized Volume Manufacturing
With the understanding that each site within the network had different testing volumes and requirements, UTAK implemented a custom manufacturing approach:
- Coordinated with each of the 14 sites to determine their specific usage volumes.
- Manufactured the precise volume needed to cover all testing sites over the same period.
- Ensured that all sites used the same lot of QC material, further enhancing consistency.
This tailored production strategy optimized resource utilization, reducing waste and improving cost-efficiency across the network.
Ongoing Collaboration and Adaptation
Testing for emerging substances like Xylazine is a dynamic undertaking. To provide continued support, our partnership extended far beyond initial product development, including:
- Regular coordination to adjust concentrations as testing needs evolve.
- Responsive approach to addressing method issues as they arose.
- Iterative process of proposing solutions, analyzing results, and refining approaches.
This ongoing collaboration allowed for continuous improvement of the QC material, ensuring that it remains reliable as the healthcare networks’s needs evolved.
Results: Streamlined Xylazine Testing and Troubleshooting
UTAK consolidated the multiple QCs the network was running into a single product from the same lot. As a result of our work, all 14 sites in the network consolidated their testing. The network has streamlined its testing with enhanced troubleshooting, creating the following benefits:
- Increased reliability in tests for Xylazine across the healthcare network.
- Improved ability to identify and isolate the source of QC failures.
Beyond the impact for this particular healthcare network, our solution contributed to enhanced detection capabilities for Xylazine across the South, Midwest, and Northeast. This improved data collection for the prevalence of the drug among fentanyl and heroin users will improve treatment strategies as well as keep law enforcement informed of the drug’s use in their jurisdiction.
Industry-Leading Custom QC from UTAK
This partnership enabled us to develop the first Xylazine control to address a growing gap in the fight against the opioid epidemic. Since our collaboration, UTAK has launched a custom control program for drugs of abuse and manufactured nearly 6,600 Xyalzine vials.
If your forensic lab needs to ensure the integrity of your results in testing for Xylazine, our custom QC builder will help you get the control you need. UTAK’s custom, third-party QC creation service stands out as a powerful tool for labs and healthcare organizations facing complex testing challenges. How can we help deliver transformative improvements to your testing? Let’s talk about it.