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What Are the Components of Laboratory Urine Drug Testing?

Components of Laboratory Urine Drug Testing

A urine drug test is a non-invasive test. It looks for the presence of illegal drugs and prescribed medications in your urine. The urine drug test often looks for:

  • Opioids (narcotics)
  • Methadone
  • PCP
  • Cocaine
  • Marijuana
  • Barbiturates
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Methamphetamines
  • Amphetamines

Alcohol can be identified in screening tests as well. Typically, it is tested via breath and not urine.

A urine drug test can assist a clinician in detecting potential substance addiction issues. Doctors can help you start a treatment plan if a drug test detects medications you may be misusing. Taking urine drug tests during substance abuse treatment ensures that the plan works. This helps rehab know that you are no longer using substances.

The goal of the urine drug test

A required urine drug test is used in a variety of situations.

For example, if your primary care physician suspects you have a drug or alcohol problem, they may prescribe this test. If you’re confused, or your conduct appears weird or risky, an emergency department doctor may also request this test.

Many firms require prospective employees to submit a urine drug test before hiring. One advantage of the urine drug test is that it can keep people with drug issues out of positions that demand extreme focus. Lack of focus could put them or others in danger. For example, a drug-addicted truck driver or air traffic controller could jeopardize the safety of numerous people. Testing may also reduce the likelihood of on-the-job accidents.

Interested in drug testing? Call Keystone today!

Other Reasons for Urine Drug Testing

Residents of drug and alcohol recovery programs test regularly. This helps the people in treatment for drug or alcohol addiction stay sober.

Testing at home. A family member, for example, may request a loved one to take this test. This helps them to confirm that they are not using drugs or alcohol. If you intend to utilize an at-home test, you should first check with your family doctor or another health expert. If the test is positive, they can advise you on how to proceed.

However, we always recommend a laboratory urine testing for the most accurate results. There are many different levels or types of urine drug testing. These all offer different levels of accuracy and come at different costs. Should you have questions regarding these different tests, Keystone is happy to help. We take pride in offering different drug tests for different needs. Our team of experts is there to answer your questions. We can help you decide which test is best for your situation. Call Keystone Lab at 800-230-2991 for additional information. 

The component of a drug test is using a proper testing kit. These usually come with a cup that has a temperature gauge on the side and some paperwork. You will need to decide on the type of urine test you want. Once the test is performed, the results will come back. The number of components to this testing procedure is small. But the accuracy is found within the machines at the testing facility.

Urine Drug Test Classifications

There are two kinds of urine drug tests. The first method, known as an immunoassay, is inexpensive and produces results rapidly. It does, however, have downsides. For example, it does not detect all opioids. It also occasionally produces false positives. A false positive happens when drug test results are positive, yet there has been no drug use.

A confirmation test known as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is performed if your initial test is positive. The exact process of the immunoassay is used to obtain a urine specimen for this type of test. Although GC/MS results are more expensive and take longer to generate, they rarely cause false positives.

Both types of testing have the potential to produce a false negative. This occurs when the test indicates a negative result despite the presence of drug usage. Both tests have the potential to miss same-day drug use.

How to Take a Urine Drug Test

You will most likely do the urine drug test in a bathroom explicitly designed for drug testing. The following steps are included in the test procedure:

-The individual performing the test will give you a specimen cup.

-While taking the test, you must leave all your personal possessions in another room. Keep in mind that you must also empty your pockets.

-In rare situations, a same-gender technician or nurse will accompany you into the bathroom. This is to ensure that all testing procedures are followed. They should explain why this form of supervised testing is necessary.

-Clean your genital area with a damp cloth provided by the technician.

-Fill the cup with urine. For the sample, you must create at least 45 milliliters.

-When you’ve finished urinating, close the cup and deliver it to the technician.

-Your sample’s temperature will be measured to ensure it is within the predicted range.

-You and the collector must maintain visual contact with the urine specimen until it is sealed and packaged for testing.

Results of a urine drug test

Depending on the cause of the drug test, the sample is frequently sent out for testing. This will get an established official report sent back.

The most prevalent type of urine drug screening, immunoassays, do not measure the substances themselves. Instead, they look at how the drugs interact with the immune system and their potential to produce antigen-antibody complexes.

This test yields results in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). A cutoff point is used in the test. Any result that is less than the cutoff number is a negative screen. Any value that is greater than the cutoff number is a non-negative screen.

If the result is immediate, the person who performs the drug test usually gives the patient the results. This will be in positive or negative terms rather than numerical figures. Many rapid immunoassay tests do not provide ng/mL results. Instead, the results are displayed on a test strip. This test strip changes color to indicate the presence of various substances.

You should have a GC/MS follow-up test immediately if you have had a false positive. This means your urine drug test returned positive, but you haven’t done drugs. You should also consult with the medical review officer (MRO). This is the doctor in charge of analyzing and reporting the findings of any drug testing performed at the facility.

Work With A Trusted Toxicology Expert

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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