Drug Test Kits

Drug tests have become a normal part of doing business in the United States. With liability suits costing companies millions every year, you can no longer rely on your employee’s word that they’re not using drugs.

Addicts can be very careful about covering up their addictions. They may never even seem high at work—and perhaps they never use just before they get to work. That doesn’t save you later on in court, though, if an accident happens and your company is found to be negligent.

A simple pre-employment drug test can also be an excellent way to weed out candidates that may not be suitable. Randomized drug testing can be used as a way of proving due diligence later in court should the need arise.

Drug Testing is Affordable

A full lab panel when it comes to testing every employee would be prohibitively expensive if carried out regularly. It’s a good thing, then, that this is entirely unnecessary. Home testing kits have improved by leaps and bounds over the last few years.

You can now get simple urine screening kits or saliva test kits that are very accurate. Your company saves money because no lab testing is necessary. Should the results come back positive, and you want more information, you can opt for a full panel later.

How Accurate are These Tests?

Home drug test strips/cups are more basic than a full lab panel. They’ll allow you to test for a few of the commonly used drugs. If you choose a reputable brand, they’re highly accurate. You’ll just need to select the best test for your needs.

It should be noted that these tests will only prove whether the person has used drugs recently. They’ll give a positive or negative result but won’t tell you what levels of drugs are present. If enough time has passed for the drug metabolites to pass, the person won’t test positive. That’s one of the reasons that it’s advisable to conduct regular, random drug screening.

There is a small possibility of getting a false positive as well, so it’s advisable that positive results be double-checked using a second test. If the results are inconclusive, some tests will also display that option. If that happens, it’s advisable to repeat the test.

How Do These Tests Work?

There are a few different types of drug test kits, and how they work varies by type. The five-panel, five-minute QuickTest drug test, for example, requires that a urine sample be taken. The only requirement is that the test is kept at room temperature for optimal results.  The person urinates into a cup, and then a drop of the sample is placed on the panel.

It works a lot like a pregnancy test in this respect. If they’re positive for drug use, you’ll find out in five minutes.

If you want to test for other drugs, you’ll need a slightly more expensive test. The Panel Prescreen Plus Mini test comes complete with a sample bottle. All the person needs to do is to pee into the cup. The cup is then sealed and set aside for ten minutes.

You might be concerned that staff may try to beat the system using false urine or someone else’s sample. There may also be valid privacy concerns here. If this is the case, the SwabScreen is quick and easy to use.

All you need to do is to swab the inside of your employee’s cheek and ensure that the swab is saturated. The sample is then placed into the tube with the reagent and set aside for ten minutes. You’ll see whether the test is positive, or if it’s inconclusive.

Drug testing is something that all companies need to take seriously. Fortunately, home test kits are now available. These offer an affordable and accurate alternative to lab testing and should be your first line of defense.