Author: John Carter

How to Read a Urine Drug Test Cup

how to read a drug test

A urine drug test can detect both illegal and prescription drugs in a person’s system. Doctors, sports officials, and many employers require these tests regularly. Tests using blood or saliva (reading at the same level as blood) will deliver real-time results of what’s in the bloodstream.

Some of these may lead to a false positive, so the staff should know about them ahead of time. Follow the specific instructions given to you, and don’t overhydrate. Opioids are detectable in urine for one to five days; in hair, the time frame is four to six months. For a urine test, this is detectable for two to four days; in hair, the drug can be picked up for four to six months. In many cases, a drug test will only be able to detect recent drug use. The detection window varies depending on whether the test is done with a sample of urine or hair.

  1. In urine, PCP can be detectable between eight days and, for a chronic user, 30 days.
  2. To ensure that drug test results are always accurate, make sure to only use sterile urine collection cups to avoid having false negative or false positive results.
  3. If your first test comes back positive, a follow-up test known as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is done for confirmation.
  4. Some urine test cups are able to detect multiple substances at once, while some are specific for certain drugs.

A faint line DOES NOT mean the specimen contains small amounts of a specific drug metabolite. Both types of tests can create a false negative, which is when the test reports a negative result even if there is drug use. For instance, a family member may want a loved one to take this test to prove that they’re not using drugs or alcohol.

Related Medical Tests

Doctors may prescribe these drugs for certain medical issues, but they also have a risk of abuse. The person who carried out the test or a medical review officer will explain the results. Below, for example, we show how long urine tests can detect cannabis. For example, a doctor may ask for a urine screen to determine if a person is taking a prescribed opioid medication in a way other than the doctor intended.

Measuring the temperature is an effective way to verify that the sample came from the person being tested. Results of this test are expressed in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). Any result below the cutoff number is a negative screen and any number above the cutoff number is a positive screen.

how to read a drug test

You may be asked to come back at a later date or on the same day it’s ordered. Quaaludes (methaqualone) are detectable for about two to four days in urine, and four to six months in hair. Methadone is detectable for about three days in urine, and four to six months in hair. In urine, PCP can be detectable between eight days and, for a chronic user, 30 days. Testing positive after using CBD will depend on whether the product contains THC, and some do. Usually prescription drugs, these can include sleeping pills and sedatives.

An immunoassay (IA) test is most common because it is the quickest and most cost effective. Although this is used in the treatment of heroin addiction, it can be abused, which is why the test screens for it. The test will likely screen for all forms of cocaine, including crack cocaine. GoodHire is sharing what employers need to know about taking the proper next steps. Steps should be taken to avoid the possibility of any adulteration to the sample.

Amphetamines

GoodHire offers multiple drug screening options, each with review and verification from a Medical Review Officer to ensure the highest possible accuracy. We also offer other screening options to help you create a comprehensive background check program. For employers, drug testing is an important part of the hiring process and maintaining a safe, productive workplace. However, interpreting pre-employment drug test results can be challenging. With the right knowledge, employers can implement an ethical drug testing program that keeps workplaces safe while also upholding employee rights. As stated above, the normal temperature of human urine ranges from 94°F to 96°F (about 35°C).

About DrugConfirm Urine Drug Test Kit Our flagship instant urine drug test kit is the best selling DrugConfirm urine drug testing cup capable of detec… A 30 mL midstream urine sample is needed to conduct a standard urine drug test like the 10 Panel T-Cup CLIA Waived Urine Drug Test Cup. A urine testing cup that reaches up to 90mL is preferred for testing for ease of use for the donor and to collect extra urine if extra tests are to be performed. Urine drug tests may come in different forms, such as urine drug cassettes and urine drug test dip cards.

how to read a drug test

If a company or organization requires a person to take a 10-panel drug test, they will generally give them notice of about 24 hours. Some professions may require the person to agree to random drug testing where they have little to no knowledge of the test beforehand. They then measure the temperature of the urine sample to make sure it is suitable for testing. If a person cannot return their sample to a medical professional within 1 hour, they should seal it in a plastic bag and store it in a refrigerator. If your result is positive in the initial screening, the sample may be sent out to a lab to confirm the result.

Cut-off levels on drug screens refer to the minimum drug concentration of a substance that will trigger a positive result. Understanding the cut-off level helps employers better interpret drug test results. A positive drug test result means the lab detected the presence of a particular drug or metabolite at or above the cutoff concentration established for that substance.

How Are Drug Tests Performed? 5 Commons Types of Tests

Urine drug screening is useful for drug testing in many different settings. Different urine drug tests are able to detect many different illicit substances to meet your needs. Urine drug screening provides rapid, accurate drug test results. To ensure that drug test results are always accurate, make sure to only use sterile urine collection cups to avoid having false negative or false positive results. A major challenge in urine drug screening is the illegal practice of manipulating the urine specimen to produce a false negative result. Donors who use drugs often try to mask the drug in their urine samples to avoid a positive result.

What can cause a false-positive test result?

The test environment may differ depending on who administers the test. In some cases, the administrator may ask a person to use a particular bathroom stall to take the test. As a study in the journal Analytical Toxicology notes, urine testing is also more likely to detect substance use than other forms of tests, such as saliva tests. If an initial result is positive, a person may need to take a second, more accurate test. Urine drug screen results usually come back within a few days or on the same day. It is important to note that certain medicines and supplements can cause false-positive results.

Choosing the right urine test cup for your purposes depends on why you are drug testing and what you are testing for. If your first test comes back positive, a follow-up test known as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is done for confirmation. This type of test uses the same procedure for getting a urine specimen as the immunoassay. GC/MS results are more expensive and take longer to give results, but they rarely produce false positives. This precaution helps protect the individual from disciplinary action due to false positives. 10-panel drug tests will also test for cocaine and other drugs containing cocaine, such as freebase or crack cocaine.

What does a positive drug test result mean?

Most common drugs screened include cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, marijuana, PCP, methadone, and benzodiazepines (BZO). A urine screening test is fast, but may not be the most reliable result. If a urine screening test is positive, it should always be confirmed using a more specific urine confirmatory test. Urine drug screening is very effective in detecting recent use, typically in the past 1-3 days.