Marijuana (THC), Methamphetamine, Amphetamine, Cocaine, Opiates, and Phencyclidine (PCP)

Marijuana (THC), Methamphetamine, Amphetamine, Cocaine, Opiates, Phencyclidine (PCP), Propoxyphene, Methadone, Barbiturates, and Benzodiazepines

The answer depends on which drug; type of specimen; each person’s own metabolism; drug concentration and/or dosage; how often the drug was used; and the sensitivity of the testing procedure.

Oral Fluid:

Very recent use up to 2 days, depending on the drug

Blood:  

Most drugs are non-detectable after five to 48 hours, depending on the drug. A good rule of thumb is only to use blood for drug testing if the person is impaired at the time of collection.

Urine:

May allow detection for several days, sometimes even more than a week.  However, urine analysis does not generally permit any toxicological evaluation of drug impairment, merely drug use.

Hair:

Drugs stay in the hair, so detection is dependent on the length submitted for testing.  A standard hair drug test is 1 ½”, or 90 days

Nails:

This includes Nail Clippings (from the tips of the nails) and Nail Shavings/Scrapings (from the surface of the nail).  Nail clippings yield an approximate thirty (30) day timeframe, six (6) months prior to collection.  Nail clippings and shavings yield up to a six (6) month timeframe

No, it is not for the initial drug test.In situations where a Medical Review Officer (MRO) will be involved, it is better to wait until the MRO's office contacts you so that any personal information, including a copy of your actual prescription, is communicated directly to the MRO.  Copies of your prescriptions will prove you are medically required to take some drugs that can show up as positive in a drug test.  The prescriptions help us to determine whether or not the prescriptions are consistent with the drug test results. 

This answer depends on your metabolism, the frequency of smoking, and the concentration of THC.  Even if a person has been clean for a month, they may still test positive on a drug screen because there are still residual amounts of the drug in their body.  If a person was a heavy smoker and had a slow metabolic rate, it is more likely that THC will stay in his/her body longer than someone who smoked less frequently and had a higher rate of metabolism.

The below-listed screen and test result turnaround times are for our most commonly ordered tests.  Note that turnaround time begins upon receipt of the specimen at the laboratory.

Negative Drug Screens using Urine or Blood Specimens24 Hours

Negative Drug Screens using Hair, Nail, or Oral Fluid Specimens

24 – 48 HoursPositive Drug Confirmations

72 Hours(48 Hours after Screen Completed)

10 Business Days

Unknown Substance Analysis

10 Business Days

Unknown Poisons and Toxins Analysis10 Business Days

There are no all-inclusive drug tests.  Only specific drugs or drug categories may be addressed by any test or series of tests.  When the toxicology report indicates that no drugs were detected, this merely indicates that none in the specific categories mentioned were found at or above detection limits.  Lower drug concentrations cannot be excluded.  Furthermore, it does not exclude the presence of drugs in categories not tested.

Creatinine concentration is checked during standard urine drug tests.  High creatinine levels indicate a pure test while low amounts of creatinine in the urine can indicate a possibly manipulated test, either through the addition of water in the sample or by drinking excessive amounts of water.  It should be noted that people who drink excessive amounts of water on a regular basis may also register with a low creatinine level.  Therefore, adulteration should not be automatically assumed, but merely considered.  Creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine phosphate in muscle and is usually produced at a fairly constant rate by the body.  Normal creatinine levels for adults are >20mg/dl.  If creatinine is diluted, the overall test procedure results will be reported as “Dilute”.

The standard in toxicology testing is to utilize cut-off levels.  Limit of Detection means reporting any detectable amount of drug.  A test can be performed using Limit of Detection; however, this must be requested in writing on the chain-of-custody form.  There is a $25.00 fee for this service (this fee is not applicable to meconium drug tests or drug-facilitated sexual assault panels).

Approximately 10 – 14 days

Every one-half inch (1/2”) of head hair is approximately equivalent to a thirty (30) day timeframe.  Body hair yields an approximate six (6) month timeframe.  A standard hair test is 1 ½”, or 90 days, though longer time periods can be tested, depending on the length of the hair.

Yes, if you request the laboratory to segment the hair sample.  Segmentation of hair must be specified in the chain-of-custody form.  For example, if a client wishes to evaluate the last three (3) months for drug use but wants to evaluate each month separately, the following format should be written in the comments section on the chain-of-custody form:

(0-30), (31-60), (61-90)

The numbers refer to days in the month.  If there is no timeframe specification reflected on the chain-of-custody for hair testing, the standard cut of 1 ½” is tested as a 90-day test.

The hair will be cut in the laboratory into thirty (30) day segments.  Each segment will be a separate hair test; therefore, a test fee will be charged for each segment tested.  As an example, if a person submits 1 ½” of hair and requests 30-day segmentation, the hair will be cut into three (3) thirty (30) day segments.  The cost will be the hair test price x 3.

Any hair submitted with “external exposure” indicated is not washed in the laboratory after initial preparation.  The specimen will go directly into incubation in order to preserve as much of the external contaminants present as possible.

Codeine, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, tramadol, and meperidine.  The cut-off level is 200 pg/mg.

It is very difficult to adulterate hair.  Donors attempt to adulterate this type of sample by dying or bleaching their hair in an attempt to pull the drugs out of it.  Some even try special shampoos that claim they will rid the drugs from their hair.  These attempts may reduce the level of drugs detected; however, in most cases, it does not fully remove the drugs from the hair.

If a person’s hair is wet or damp or smells of bleach, it is important to note this in the chain-of-custody form.  It may be a sign of attempted adulteration.

Yes, it is important to note the area of origin, since there are completely different timeframes between head hair and body hair.  A note can be as simple as “head hair” or “collected from underarm”.