PreFent was designed to be economically sustainable with a very low-cost production value. The most expensive part of it is the Fentanyl test strip that currently sells from a range of 50 cents to $1. We hope that we could come to some licensing agreement with BTNX or dancesafe (the test strip distributors) that can agree to provide us with the strips. The rest of the invention consists of a 3.75” x 1.25” x .5” plastic case that is worth 15 cents of plastic while 3D printing. A small plastic water pouch, a shammy cloth/sponge that costs a fraction of a penny, and a small spoon. The PreFent should cost a maximum of $1.20 to produce while offering the invaluable reward of saving a life.

Non-government organizations (NGOs) like syringe service programs already distribute fentanyl test strips for free, and thus the distribution outlet is already present for PreFent. NGOs visit events, schools, shelters, and tent cities to distribute overdose preventatives. Within music and nightlife communities, there are online resources that promote health and safety and sell fentanyl test strips such as dancesafe.org and bunkpolice.com. The PreFent could also be offered in a pharmacy or deli like a contraceptive to encourage its routine and casual use.

Government organizations (GOs) have also taken steps to promote overdose preventatives. In April 2021, CDC and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced federal funding could be used to purchase fentanyl test strips. This purchase approval applies to all federal grant programs if the purchase of fentanyl test strips is consistent with the program's purpose.

The PreFent team is aware of the burdens of single use plastics in our world today. The PreFent had to be single use because contaminating the test cases with different substances could cause a false positive or negative on any test strip whether it be for Covid, fentanyl, or allergens. However, we made sure to keep sustainability in mind in our design. Currently, the PreFent is made from PLA plastic which is commonly used in 3D printing as this was our prototyping method. PLA is the most commercially available sustainable polymer. It is made from plants and can be composted to make nutrient rich soil. The small sponge necessary for this device can be swapped with a biodegradable alternative which can include a sea, cellulose, bamboo, hemp, PVA, or cotton sponge.

In principle the fentanyl test strip screening process is simple; however, in practice there are significant hurdles that prevent its use and lead to avoidable deaths. In the often chaotic or furtive situations in which illicit drugs are taken, simple steps such as opening packages, reading instructions, gathering materials, and correctly interpreting results can be challenging. Simple hurdles might include difficulty finding a cup of water and/or a clean surface in a club. It is also easy to misinterpret the results; does the two lines mean the substance is safe or that it is deadly? You can even easily invalidate the test by dipping the test strip too far into a cup of water (if the whole strip is wet, it does not work). Finally, running the test in a social setting may not be appealing for a drug user since it is not a discreet process. The test kit might be too big to fit in a purse, and it might be socially awkward to tear through the packaging while negotiating a drug transaction. Other solutions against fentanyl poisoning are to let someone else take the illicit drug first, or to abstain from doing drugs. Both fail as effective preventative measures. Thus, there is a need for an intuitive and discreet device to perform the fentanyl screening test without the need to open packaging and gather materials.

If the drug is in pill form we still recommend the entire pill be crushed, mixed and a powdered sample be tested. However, there is a pill grinder within the device that the user can grind a pill on for testing.