The National Order of Pharmacists issued "reservations" on Wednesday regarding kits for detecting chemical substances in drinks, sold in certain pharmacies, and called on pharmacists "to be vigilant".
"What is still questionable is that, to my knowledge, these tests do not have CE marking," a guarantee of compliance with regulatory requirements for this product to be marketed in Europe, indicated Carine Wolf-Thal, the president of the national council of the order of pharmacists.
Generally offered in nightlife and festivals, these tests – detection is done using a small stick that is dipped in the drink – are sometimes sold in "certain pharmacies" but have not "proven their safety and reliability" at this stage, she added during a press briefing.
"The risk is that it is falsely reassuring," even if "we cannot completely dismiss the idea of testing a drink," according to her.
Furthermore, these types of tests, manufactured in the United States and the United Kingdom in particular, do not currently appear on the list of authorized goods that a pharmacist can sell in a pharmacy.
"The question is 'should this be included in the list or not?'" Wolf-Thal asked. In the meantime, "be careful about the choice of reference for this test," she said.
Chemical submission involves the administration of psychoactive substances to an individual, often a woman, without their knowledge, for the purposes of assault and rape.
The Order of Pharmacists recalls that during the health crisis linked to Covid, pharmacies served as "a refuge, a place of alert" for victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
In October, the government relaunched a mission on the subject of chemical submission entrusted to RDSE senator Véronique Guillotin and MoDem deputy Sandrine Josso.
This had notably recommended that pharmacies be able to provide, on medical prescription, to women who believe they have been drugged, a "detection kit" or "morning after kit" with "bottles for collecting urine", useful addresses and "all the steps to follow" to access the proof.
"Nothing has been decided yet" on the analysis of chemical substances from a blood or urine sample, said Ms Wolf-Thal, but this will "be part of a very soon meeting".
The Defender of Rights, who was notified of a specific case in December, recommended raising awareness among police services as part of their training and facilitating "access to detection kits in police stations, gendarmerie brigades and forensic units".
It also recommends that the delivery of a kit "be systematically accompanied by an offer to be able to isolate oneself in a toilet so that it can be used with dignity and cleanly."
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