How to test drug presence: if you intend to use a psychoactive substance, you need a identification test to confirm the sample actually contains what it was sold as. The most common option is a reagent test, which produces a strong colour change with the expected substance or with an adulterant. These are the same tests police carry. To establish the full composition you also need a purity test. To detect fentanyl or its analogues we recommend fentanyl test strips.

This guide covers identification: is the expected substance present? If you already know what your sample is and want to know how much of it there is, read How to test drug purity? instead.

A positive or negative test result does not tell you a sample is safe. No substance is 100% safe. Reagents show what is present, not how much of it is there. Around 90% of adulterants react with one reagent in three and 95% with one in five, so use several reagent tests rather than one, and add a purity test when you need the full composition.

How to test a substance

Before you test

  • We recommend filming the reaction so you can compare it later.
  • A laboratory analysis is always the more reliable option where one is available, and it is free in many countries. Reagent testing is what you use when it is not.

Step one — testing powders, crystals, pills and capsules

  • Scrape off the smallest usable amount, roughly the size of a match head. Crush pills and open capsules first so the reagent meets the whole sample, not just a coating.
  • Place the sample on a reaction plate or the unglazed base of a ceramic mug.
  • Add one or two drops of reagent and watch the first thirty seconds closely. The initial colour and the speed at which it develops both matter.
  • Compare the result against the reference reaction chart.

Step two — choosing the right reagent

Pick the reagent that matches your sample. You need reagent tests that react strongly with either the expected substance or its likely adulterants. For a full composition you will also need purity tests.

  • To detect adulterants in a secondary amine such as MDMA, methamphetamine or mephedrone, use Robadope or Simon’s, which separate secondary from primary amines.
  • For a broad first pass on unknown powders, Marquis, Mecke and Mandelin together cover most of the common market.
  • For blotters and anything sold as LSD, use Ehrlich and Hofmann.
  • For cocaine, Scott is the standard presumptive test, and Liebermann and Froehde help separate common cuts.
  • For ketamine, Mandelin and Liebermann are the usual pair.
  • For benzodiazepines, use Zimmermann.

One reagent is never enough. Around 90% of adulterants react with one reagent in three and 95% with one in five, which is why the Full PRO Test Kit for Substance Identification exists. If you would rather choose yourself, read What is the best drug test?

After the test

  • Optional: neutralise the used reagent with a spoonful of baking soda before rinsing. It protects both you and your plumbing.
  • Wash the testing surface under running water.

Frequently asked questions

  • Reaction speed says nothing about quantity or purity. If a result is hard to read, use a slightly larger sample or crush it more finely.
  • A reagent that reacts does not mean the sample is pure. It means the expected substance is present. Anything else in the sample may be invisible to that reagent.
  • How do I check a reagent still works? Test a known control sample and compare against the chart. If the control reacts normally, the reagent is still good.
  • How many tests are in one kit? A multi-use kit covers up to 100 tests (5 ml) or 200 tests (10 ml); one drop is one test. Single-use kits contain two ampoules.

Where to buy an identification test

Every PRO Test testing guide

This article does not encourage the use of psychoactive substances and does not replace medical advice.