Urine Drug testing |
· Accurate and reliable results
·
Affordable, inexpensive drug test kit
· Drug testing for different specimen of abuse, including various
drugs, alcohol and nicotine
· Well known for the specialists and general public
·
Laboratory confirmation available |
· Adulteration, dilution, and substitution methods well known and
common
· Need a special room and same sex personnel
· Could be embarrassing for some tested persons
· Invasive method with problems of specimen handling and shipping
to laboratory, because of hazardous nature |
· Basically 1 to 5 days, depend of substance nature, usage regularity
and body type
· For example, Marijuana could stay longer, up to 3-4 weeks with
the heavy users with overweight problems |
Hair Follicle Drug Testing |
· Longer window of detection.
· Greater stability (does not deteriorate).
· Can measure chronic drug use.
· Convenient shipping and storage (no need to refrigerate).
· Collection procedure not considered invasive or embarrassing.
· More difficult to adulterate than urine.
· Detects alcohol/cocaine combination use. |
· More expensive.
· Test usually limited to basic 5-drug panel.
· Cannot detect alcohol use.
· Will not detect very recent drug use (1 to 7 days prior to test).
|
· Depends on the length of hair in the sample. Hair grows about a
half-inch per month, so a 1½-inch specimen would show a 3-month history.
|
Saliva (Oral Fluid) Drug Testing |
· Sample obtained under direct observation.
· Minimal risk of tampering.
· Non-invasive.
· Samples can be collected easily in virtually any environment.
· Can detect alcohol use.
· Reflects recent drug use. |
· Drugs and drug metabolites do not remain in oral fluids as long
as they do in urine.
· Less efficient than other testing methods in detecting marijuana
use. |
· Approximately 10 to 24 hours. |
Surface (Aerosol Drug Testing) |
· Non-invasive.
· Variable removal date (generally 1 to 7 days).
· Quick application and removal.
· Longer window of detection than urine.
· No sample substitution possible. |
· Limited number of labs able to process results.
· People with skin eruptions, excessive hair, or cuts and abrasions
cannot wear the patch.
· Passive exposure to drugs may contaminate patch and affect results.
|
· Patch retains evidence of drug use for at least 7 days, and can
detect even low levels of drugs 2 to 5 hours after last use. |