While fentanyl overdose deaths have been falling in recent years, use of the drug remains a major public health crisis in the U.S., and now Labcorp is launching a new test designed to detect the drug’s use for up to 48 hours after exposure.
Approved by the FDA, Labcorp’s Fentanyl Urine Visual Test, which launched today, delivers results in 10 minutes.
The test is intended for use in emergency departments, hospitals and clinics to evaluate suspected fentanyl exposure, detecting norfentanyl, the drug’s primary metabolite, which can remain detectable in urine for up to 48 hours. It extends the detection window beyond fentanyl itself, which may clear within hours.
The test, however, must be administered by qualified professionals in Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified settings.
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Labcorp joins Quest Diagnostics and Abbott’s toxicology business, among others, in testing for the drug. Abbott offers its iScreen Urine Test Dx Drug Screen Tox Cup and laboratory services, with rapid test results available in as little as five minutes.
In 2024, the number of fatal drug overdoses across the U.S. fell by about one-quarter and has continued to decline into 2026, according to data from the CDC, with fentanyl remaining a leading driver of overdose deaths.
