There Are Several Types Of Drug Detection Employers Can Use
- By Phoenix Delray
- Published 12/30/2011
- Legal
- Unrated
Labs that offer drug detection services now have several types of testing that they can offer.The ways that they collect samples and the technology has changed considerably. The newer methods allow them to provide more accurate reporting for their clients.
Employers have long relied on services that used urinalysis as their primary mode of testing. This has been conducted in a controlled environment, usually at the lab itself. The candidate would be required to give a urine sample using a cup supplied by the lab. Should the candidate be female, they would be required to leave their purse outside the rest room. This was thought to cut down on the possibility of urine from an unknown source being substituted for that of the potential employee. Most female candidates did not like this idea at all.
Drug detection urine testsare still widely used but have limitations. These require special handling such as refrigeration. The samples are only useful for a limited amount of time. And they only provide information about a short period of time for potential drug use. Some drugs rapidly disappear from the body. Ones like cocaine, PCP and meth are not usually detected if
they have been used more than two to three days in the past. This can give a somewhat misleading result for some employers. If the candidate knows they have the option of waiting a few days to test, they can easily abstain from use long enough to pass the test successfully.
The types of drug detection technology used by labs have changed. Some of them now use hair samples. There are several different companies that use these types of samples for testing. Their methods of collection vary a little bit. Some labs will use a fairly large amount of hair, usually close to the diameter of a drinking straw. This can pose a problem for those who have fine or thin hair when a sample is taken. Other labs are able to use smaller amounts of hair such as a sample the size of the diameter of a pencil lead.
There are several advantages of using hair instead of urine for this type of testing. Hair samples can give more information from a longer time period about a users drug habits. Instead of a few days, the timeline can cover several months. The storage and collect methods are more pleasant for everyone involved than with urine samples. Hair samples do not pose a biohazard. There is far less possibility of tampering when using hair when using this type of drug detection.
Employers have long relied on services that used urinalysis as their primary mode of testing. This has been conducted in a controlled environment, usually at the lab itself. The candidate would be required to give a urine sample using a cup supplied by the lab. Should the candidate be female, they would be required to leave their purse outside the rest room. This was thought to cut down on the possibility of urine from an unknown source being substituted for that of the potential employee. Most female candidates did not like this idea at all.
Drug detection urine testsare still widely used but have limitations. These require special handling such as refrigeration. The samples are only useful for a limited amount of time. And they only provide information about a short period of time for potential drug use. Some drugs rapidly disappear from the body. Ones like cocaine, PCP and meth are not usually detected if
The types of drug detection technology used by labs have changed. Some of them now use hair samples. There are several different companies that use these types of samples for testing. Their methods of collection vary a little bit. Some labs will use a fairly large amount of hair, usually close to the diameter of a drinking straw. This can pose a problem for those who have fine or thin hair when a sample is taken. Other labs are able to use smaller amounts of hair such as a sample the size of the diameter of a pencil lead.
There are several advantages of using hair instead of urine for this type of testing. Hair samples can give more information from a longer time period about a users drug habits. Instead of a few days, the timeline can cover several months. The storage and collect methods are more pleasant for everyone involved than with urine samples. Hair samples do not pose a biohazard. There is far less possibility of tampering when using hair when using this type of drug detection.
Phoenix Delray
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