WA State Drug Brief: BTMPS: New Substance Found in Community Drug Checking Samples

In June 2024, a new substance, Bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl) sebacate (BTMPS), was detected in the unregulated drug supply nationally in community drug testing programs, most commonly in products sold as and containing fentanyl.

BTMPS is an industrial chemical with no approved use in humans. The effects of the substance and why it might be in the drug supply are not well understood.

Community Drug Checking Network (CDCN) sites in Washington State are harm reduction/syringe services programs that provide onsite drug checking for their participants. These sites can often detect BTMPS onsite.

This new Washington State Drug Brief: BTMPS – A New Substance Found in Community Drug Checking Samples from the CEDEER team provides preliminary data on the presence of BTMPS in 21 samples based upon WA State’s CDCN data (7% of 307 samples collected at CDCN sites and 12.5% of 160 samples sold as fentanyl).

People having a serious health issue possibly related to their fentanyl or other drug use should consider seeing a medical provider and sharing information about BTMPS with them. If you use drugs, get your drugs checked regularly.

The WA CDCN will keep monitoring the drug supply and will work with harm reduction, medical, and public health colleagues to create and share actionable information about BTMPS and other substances that may emerge. It’s important to note that harm reduction programs, locally and nationally, were the first to identify this compound and share information with people who use drugs and those serving people who use drugs. Most other drug data sources can’t detect BTMPS or don’t report it because it’s not a controlled substance.

Read the CEDEER Washington State Drug Brief &
Read an LA Times article with more information about BTMPS