Drug & Alcohol Testing – Specimen Types

4 Feb 2023 | Uncategorized

There is a wide range of common specimen types for drug testing, including urine, hair, oral fluid, blood, nail and sweat. Choosing a specimen is determined by the type of drug use you are interested in testing. However, other factors are also essential to consider depending on your objective. This includes the detection window, range of detectable substances, test frequency, and the collection process. Knowing the fundamentals is critical to executing a successful, drug-free workplace policy and program.

Urine Drug Testing
A urine drug specimen is the most common specimen type for Drug & Alcohol Testing. It is the only specimen permitted for regulated drug testing programs. With specimen validating test, we ensure the integrity of a urine drug test by measuring PH, creatinine and specific gravity (when indicated)

Drugs enter the body in psychedelic form and come out as a metabolite. A urine test is able to detect the metabolites and deliver a confirmatory report indicating their presence through drug-protein conjugates. Tests can be conducted instantly, or specimens can be collected and sent to our laboratory for more in-depth analysis.

Oral Fluid Drug Testing
Oral fluid drug testing is a non-invasive method that detects parent drugs and their metabolites in saliva. This method is typically used for-cause testing and post-incident testing with results detectable 30-60 minutes after ingestion. Results can be obtained instantly or through laboratory analysis.

Hair Drug Testing
Hair drug testing provides the longest detection window of any specimen and is not easily tampered with. Hair shows a pattern of repetitive drug use for up to 90-days and has a long history of helping keep workplaces drug-free. Once the sample has been collected it can be analysed to detect the presence of parent drugs and their metabolites.

Blood Drug Testing
Blood analysis may be appropriate in situations when it is suspected that a person is actively under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Blood drug tests offer a very short window of detection. The timeframe is typically minutes to hours in the blood, depending on the drug and the dose.

Nail Drug Testing
Like hair testing, nail testing can be used to detect drug and alcohol use across long detection windows. This is approximately between six and 12 months – according to whether the sample is a fingernail or toenail. Sample collection is fast and non-intrusive, and can be performed anywhere under the supervision of a trained collector.

Sweat Drug Testing
With Sweat Drug Testing, a patch is attached directly to an individual’s skin. The patch is able to detect traces of drugs in the person’s sweat. This method of testing is relatively non-invasive and difficult to tamper with.

At Clarityscreening, we offer a suite of services tailored to meet your drug testing needs. Contact us today to learn more about our services.