Urine Drug Test Guide: Purpose, Types, and Procedure
Urine drug testing is the most common type of drug testing. Also known as a urine drug screen, it is a painless test used by employers, sporting officials, parents, and rehabilitation centers. It analyzes your urine for the presence of certain illegal drugs and prescription medications.
Urine tests can often provide evidence of previous drug consumption. Therefore, screening is useful in monitoring drug use in the workplace.
Employers can utilise drug and alcohol testing in the workplace to control health and safety hazards. These exams could be random and / or voluntary.
What is Urine Drug Testing?
Humans excrete drugs, chemicals, and other compounds in their urine, and such elements can be discovered via screening tests.
Heroin is available in three different forms: black tar heroin, brown powder heroin, and white powder heroin.
All types contain heroin ingredients that are slightly different, and the substance is likely to have been infused with other substances. They may increase the drug’s potency, making it more dangerous in some cases.
What is a Urine Drug Testing Kit?
Urine drug testing kits are devices that determine the presence or absence of a substance at pre-determined cut-off levels.
The Australian Standard AS/NZS 4308:2008 is used to determine the cut-off levels for urine drug test kits in Australia. Because these limits differ from those in other nations, test kits purchased from outside will produce different and perhaps contradictory test results than those based on the Australian Standard.
Although drug and alcohol testing may be suitable in a number of workplace settings, it is required in high-risk and safety-critical positions. This is due to the fact that drug and alcohol abuse can harm both employees and the general population.
For pilots and air traffic controllers, for example, certain aviation organisations have a drug and alcohol management plan in place. Apart from this, transport drivers, operators of dangerous machinery, surgeons, firefighters, and military personnel are among the other vocations that fall within this category.
Purposes and Uses of Urine Drug Screens
Urine drug testing is divided into two phases where both have their own pre-defined cut-off levels.
- A screening phase.
- A confirmation phase.
Using these kits, one can easily conduct the first phase of a drug test and determine if the result is positive or negative. A Non Negative test is further analyzed in a suitably accredited laboratory while a negative test keeps you clear of any troubles
As a result, the primary purpose of a urine drug test kit is to determine negative findings. All other samples will need to be tested further.
A urine drug test may be required by medical professionals, sports authorities, rehabilitation centers, and employers for a variety of reasons.
Blood tests, urine tests, and saliva tests are the three major types of drug and alcohol tests. Variable tests offer varying degrees of accuracy as well as different turnaround times for results.
Furthermore, companies have a variety of choices for conducting drug and alcohol testing in the workplace. These are some of them:
- Random Testing: It is an unannounced testing intended to detect any present employees who are abusing drugs or alcohol at work.
- Blanket Testing: This is where all employees in a company are tested at the same time.
- Targeted Testing: Commonly referred as ‘for cause’ testing, this is mainly conducted when there is a reasonable suspicion by the employer that a worker is under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Pre-Employment Testing: Mandatory requirement by companies where an employee has to take a drug and alcohol test before their hiring is finalized.
- Post-Accident or Incident Testing: Mainly required for employees in case there is a workplace accident/incident.
- Post-Positive Result Testing: Typically, a company policy where a positive employee to test negative before returning to work.
- Rehabilitation Testing: Drug and alcohol testing for personnel who are presently undergoing or have recently completed drug or alcohol rehabilitation.
- Voluntary Testing: Employees that choose to get tested for drugs and alcohol on their own initiative.
Why Choose Urine Drug Test Kits?
Urine samples are easy to obtain and are not invasive to the employee. They are typically the least expensive of all drug test procedures, are effective at detecting recent drug use, and are required for many regulated tests.
All our testing kits are compliant with the AS/NZS 4308:2008 standard to help you complete the urine screening test phase. These include:
Drug Class | Cut-Off Level (in ng/mL or ug/L) |
|---|---|
Amphetamines | 300 |
Benzodiazepines | 200 |
Cocaine | 300 |
Methamphetamine | 300 |
Opiates | 300 |
Cannabis | 50 |
Factors Affecting Drug Detection Time
There are a number of factors that may affect the length of time a urine drug test can detect a substance in the body. These include:
- body mass
- hydration levels
- the acidity of the urine
- when the person last consumed the drug
A urine test will detect a drug for a longer amount of time if a person uses it regularly or heavily. Let’s have a look at detection times for certain drugs.
Drug | Detection time after use |
|---|---|
Alcohol | 7 to 12 hours |
Amphetamines | 48 hours |
Morphine | 48 to 72 hours |
Cocaine metabolites | 2 to 4 days |
Methadone | 3 days |
Short-acting benzodiazepines | 3 days |
Long-acting benzodiazepines | 30 days, |
Use of marijuana | Detection times after use |
|---|---|
Single use | 3 days |
Moderate use (4 times a week) | 5 to 7 days |
Daily use | 10 to 15 days |
Heavy use | more than 30 days |
Procedure of the Test
You will most likely do the urine drug test in a bathroom that has been set up specifically for drug testing. The steps are as follows:
- Your doctor or drug tester will give you a test cup.
- You must leave your handbag, briefcase, and other items in a different room while taking the test. Ensure you have emptied your pockets as well.
- In some situations, you will be accompanied into the bathroom by a technician to ensure you are following the testing protocols. You will know beforehand if supervised testing is necessary.
- Empty your bladder into the cup. For the sample, you will need at least 45 milliliters.
- When you are done, close the lid and hand it to the technician.
How Does Urine Drug Testing Kit help?
Urine drug testing kits have revolutionised how you can discreetly handle and manage a situation that can get out of hand. Drugs have an impact on parents as well as employers, but various drug test kits have been developed to address the problem.
Parents may now test their children in the privacy of their own homes, and companies can test their employees quietly and effectively on the job without having to wait for lab results.
At Australia Drug Testing, we offer five different urine drug testing kits all verified to the Australian Standard AS 4308:2008. These kits are specifically designed to determine the underlying cause in a discreet manner. Visit our website or call 1800 187 238 to learn more about our urine drug testing kits.
Disclaimer: However, it is important to be aware of Australian drug and alcohol testing guidelines before undertaking any tests. When conducting employee testing, employers should be aware of the many testing choices as well as their rights and restrictions.
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Australia Drug Testing provides quality drug and alcohol test kits that are simple to use, highly sensitive, fast, and reliable. You should always use products that are certified to Australian Standards to avoid device malfunctions which could cause a false positive.Our testing kits are sourced from the best products in the market to match your various workplace needs:
- Alcohol test kits
- Urine drug test kits
- Saliva drug test kits