GUARDS: Global Uniform Analysis & Reporting of Drug-related Substances

MIRLANDE GERMAIN-TITUS, SHENELL COLLINS

Drug Enforcement Administration, Southeast Laboratory, Miami, FL

With the landscape of the illicit drug market changing to include an increase of synthetic emerging drugs, innovative comprehensive and reliable analytical methodology is needed to fully capture the complexity of current polydrug samples and aid in the analysis and identification of these newly emerging substances. Differences in federal, state, and local laws impact how seized drug laboratories analyze and report chemical substances. For example, results from CY23 DEA seizures in a New England state show 26% of fentanyl exhibits analyzed contained xylazine. Whereas the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) shows 0% for the same state in CY23. These types of reporting inconsistencies among the various agencies impact law enforcement and public health responses to emerging drug threats, like xylazine.

DEA’s Global Uniform Analysis and Reporting of Drug-Related Substances (GUARDS) gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis method is addressing these challenges and increasing the validity and reliability of forensic results, while simultaneously generating more comprehensive information. DEA’s GUARDS method provides a fast, efficient, cost-effective, and uniform GC-MS method of analysis and reporting for the seized drug community.

As the GUARDS GC-MS methodology is adopted, creating the foundation for an enhanced DEA-sponsored Early Warning System, advanced data analytics modeling opportunities will emerge. In addition, GUARDS supports the TRANQ (Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality) Research Act of 2023, which requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support research and other activities related to identifying xylazine, novel synthetic opioids, and other new psychoactive substances.

In this session, the impact of inconsistent drug analysis reporting has to public health and public trust will be discussed. Information will be provided to aid laboratories transitioning to hydrogen carrier gas and GUARDS methodology. In addition, the value and implementation of the GUARDS innovative methodology in 200+ instruments in DEA labs will be presented, as well as the efforts of other labs, such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Furthermore, new initiatives to increase consistency of reported data to NFLIS will be presented.