A round green pill with an ’86’ press on one side and a stylised ‘R’ logo on the other (resembling a generic alprazolam tablet prescribed in the US), expected to contain a benzodiazepine, was found to be a counterfeit, containing rilmazafone.

Rilmazafone is a benzodiazepine prodrug, meaning the body converts the substance into a benzo after consumption (rilmazolam).

Because of the conversion time the onset of effects can be delayed and may take 2-3hrs or more.

Rilmazafone is not readily available in Australia, but it is prescribed in Japan as a hypnotic/insomnia treatment (branded as Rhythmy). Its use has been linked to fatalities in Europe in recent years.

Effects

Can be sedative and hypnotic, including slowed motor skills and memory impairment, and next-day residual ‘hangover’ effects are common.

The risk of harm is significantly increased if using depressants such as alcohol, GHB, or opioids at the same time, or consuming multiple pills.

Reducing the Harm

Test your stuff! This sample shows you can’t tell what’s in your drugs just by looking at them, and you can’t always rely on what you’ve been told being accurate. A global trend is that unregulated or counterfeit pharmaceuticals, such as benzodiazepines, are becoming more common and very convincing, making them hard to distinguish from legitimate pharmaceutical products. In some cases, there are several different benzos inside a single pill – drastically raising the risk for users.

While this sample was brought to CanTEST with uncertain expectations, Rilmazafone, Alprazolam, and other benzos are not readily available from Australian pharmacies.

This means that most, if not all, pharmaceutical-appearing products from unregulated suppliers, including ‘Xanax’ bars and generics like this green pill, are likely counterfeit, often containing novel benzodiazepines instead.

Don’t mix it with alcohol or other depressants. Many substances can have effects that last multiple days after use.

Start low, go slow. Try a test dose first and never use alone.

Be alert for signs of an overdose. Think someone has overdosed? Call 000 for an ambulance immediately.