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Lactose is commonly used as a cutting agent in illicit drugs. Currently, presumptive field color test kits for illicit drugs do not test for the presence of lactose or other cutting agents. A method was developed to detect lactose on a paper-based test card. A three-enzyme system comprised of lactase, glucose oxidase, and peroxidase was used to break down lactose into peroxide, which was then detected with a redox indicator. The test can detect lactose concentrations as low as 5% in solid samples and shows no interference when lactose is mixed with illicit drugs or commercial pharmaceuticals. Prepared test cards were stable on the shelf for up to five months. In a blinded study of samples composed of mixtures of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine HCl, crack cocaine, fillers, and lactose, the sensitivity for detection of lactose across three readers was 100% and specificity was 96.4% (n= 96). When this test was incorporated into a 12-lane test card for the detection of illicit drugs, readers were correctly able to identify the illicit drug and the presence of lactose with 99.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity (n= 54). This test is a robust and affordable way to detect lactose in illicit drug samples.

Falsified antimalarial pharmaceuticals are a worldwide problem with negative public health implications. Here, we develop a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) protocol to recognize substandard and falsified antimalarial drugs present in commercially available tablets. After recording SERS spectra for pure chloroquine, primaquine, and doxycycline, SERS is used to measure these drugs formulated as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the presence of common pharmaceutical caplet excipients. To demonstrate the viability of our approach, a red team study was also performed where low-quality and falsified formulations of all three drugs presented as unknowns were identified. These data in conjunction with promising results from a portable Raman spectrometer suggest that SERS is a viable technique for on-site analysis of drug quality.