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August 8, 2022
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People using fake urine to replace their own urine is one of the latest trends in drug testing tampering. For decades, subjects have used clean urine from others. However, they have often been shocked when the borrowed urine tested positive for more drugs than their own would have. Because it is easier to cheat tests, more people are asking us “Can a lab test for fake urine?”
Fake urine is easier and more reliable for anyone trying to alter their drug testing. It was designed to closely match the appearance and composition of the real thing.
Synthetic urine is an artificially synthesized substance that simulates the composition, chemical properties, and appearance of human urine. In other words, it is “fake urine.” Synthetic urine will work for drug tests because most laboratories do not perform genetic analyses on specimens. When used, the synthetic urine must be kept warm and have a roughly estimated temperature of 98°F to convince the testing staff that the given specimen has been produced naturally and is authentic. Those required conditions are similar to those of human urine; therefore, a common urine analysis will not detect whether a urine sample is a natural or synthetic one. This enables an individual to pass the drug test easily and without any complications.
When a lab is searching for fake urine, it’s actually rather easy to detect it in a drug test. Because more people are using fake urine to cheat their drug tests, labs are now testing for analytes found in human urine that aren’t in fake pee. For example, uric acid is not a common component in many fake urine specimens.
Did you ever forget to flush after urinating, and then come back to a horrible stench from the toilet? Fake pee is not contaminated with uric acid or other bacteria that can be found in urine. This allows it to have a longer shelf-life. The fake pee was not designed to fool laboratory equipment. Therefore, it will be detected by the lab when your sample is submitted for verification. There are 12 other substances that are found in urine, aside from uric acid.
We recommend that medical offices and companies perform visual confirmations of drug tests. An employee can confirm that the sample was obtained from the donor by acting as a witness.
With proper visual confirmation, it would be difficult for someone to use fake urine for their own urine. Although prosthetics are intended to trick employees, they can be easily detected by witnesses and even malfunction.
Belts with a reservoir and tubing can be used to trick witnesses. The belt uses body heat in order to maintain the urine’s temperature high enough to activate the temperature strip. However, these devices are easy to recognize, especially if the witness is trained to spot people who are trying to smuggle in clean urine.
The original purpose of fake pee was to serve as a control tool for laboratory technicians and scientists to test. It was able to aid in eliminating variables like composition, dilution and contamination in experiments that required human urine as it’s able to be stored for longer periods of time without refrigeration.
So during a point of care drug test the fake urine will test like clean urine. A quantitative drug test only confirms that a drug’s metabolites have been found above a specific level in a substance diluted at the level of an average human urine. Water will still work even if there aren’t any present metabolites. This is why many organizations use cups with adulterant strips or random lab negative samples to confirm.
The policies of the testing organization will directly affect your chances of being caught cheating on drug tests. It will be more difficult for you to alter a test because of the time and money that they spend on preventing adulteration.
When looking at home tests there are two types of test cups. Cups with and without an adulteration strip. Because they have been engineered to give perfect results on all adulterant tests, most fake urine will pass both cups. These are the types of urine adulteration tests:
All it takes is for the person who is giving you the drug test to watch you pee and you won’t get a chance to substitute your fake pee for your sample.
Both cups have temperature strips. However, suspicions can be triggered if a sample doesn’t register.
You might be able to get away with it if the witness isn’t paying attention. But the real question at hand is, are you willing to be caught cheating your urine drug screen with fake urine?
Fake urine: The risks and consequences
The consequences of someone being caught tampering in their drug test are often directly related to the investment made in fighting adulteration. An individual on probation will be subject to a zero tolerance policy. Any attempt to alter a urine sample will lead to immediate jail sentence. Patients who are given narcotics will not be monitored as closely, but they will still be expected to provide a positive sample. If a patient is caught manipulating a drug test, most doctors will not prescribe the medication and will note this on their chart.
There are many types of employment tests. Most companies either outsource testing to companies that have strict guidelines or run their own program. They probably spend a lot of time making sure it is not wasteful. A company that does not require drug testing to meet insurance guidelines is an exception.
The United States currently has no law prohibiting the sale or use of fake pee. However, 19 states have passed legislation regarding synthetic urine.
Keystone Laboratories, a CAP-accredited North Carolina licensed laboratory and CLIA-licensed lab, is committed to helping you make important decisions that impact the safety and health of your patients with greater confidence. Clients in 48 states can get prescription drug and substance abuse recovery monitoring, specialized testing, workplace drug testing, screening, and program management services from Keystone. Contact Keystone Laboratories today to receive the industry-leading laboratory testing services!
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