'Designer drugs'. Treating the damage caused by basement chemists.

Use of "designer drugs" has created a new dilemma for physicians. Generally, it is possible to recognize symptoms and signs of intoxication that fit a specific class of substances, such as amphetamine-like effects for the phenylethylamines and opioid effects for the fentanyl analogues. Designer compounds have crossed these boundaries, and toxicology laboratories cannot readily identify them. For now, physicians must rely on clinical presentation and treat accordingly.