As evidenced by the recent wave of fentanyl-induced overdoses in America, the components of street drugs are constantly changing in America. Staying on top of that crisis presents formidable challenges, including staying in the know about new additives and cutting agents in the nation’s drug supply.

Healthcare providers, law enforcement, and others must also remain vigilant about the potential consequences of a changing drug market and attempt to inform drug users about those effects. To do so, rapid analysis and reporting of those changing components are vital to addressing the challenges at hand.

In the past, that analysis has been hindered by backlogs, limited geographical information, and 10-to-30-minute delays when identifying chemical compounds in a drug sample. Now, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Materials Measurement Science Division (MMSD) — part of the Material Measurement Laboratory — have developed a test that more rapidly identify trace compounds on drug paraphernalia.

The test uses a technique known as Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) and makes up the analytical arm of the Rapid Drug Analysis and Research (RaDAR) Program developed by NIST. Begun as a pilot in October 2022, RaDAR gives near real-time information on the composition of street drugs from trace samples using the DART-MS platform.

RaDAR cuts the identification of chemical compounds in a drug sample from a minimum of 10 minutes to a maximum of one minute. This allows RaDAR to analyze samples and report results on the same day they are received. The high sensitivity of DART-MS means collaborators in the field only need a cotton swab to test the outside of the paraphernalia without even opening it. They mail that swab to RaDAR and receive the report via email.

To complete the tech transfer, staff from several NIST offices had to collaborate to identify and refine the appropriate interlaboratory agreement templates for individual RaDAR participants, which had significantly different organizational structures and geographical locations.

At the time of publication, RaDAR provides comprehensive drug testing data to 15 states or territories across the U.S., all of which have experienced successes in analyzing and identifying trace compounds on drug paraphernalia. In total, more than 16,000 samples have been analyzed since RaDAR’s pilot program began, with more than 5,000 analyzed since the beginning of 2025 alone.

RaDAR analyses cannot be used in criminal investigations, but they provide a distinct public health benefit by helping to inform harm reduction efforts. Drug overdose in the United States remains a crisis, but RaDAR is working to change that, one rapid test and analysis at a time.

This technology received the 2025 FLC Impact Award. Learn more here and discover more awardees in our Awards Gallery.