Drug Testing

Drug usage costs employers thousands of dollars each year in absenteeism, theft, and loss productivity. Testing for drugs as part of the pre-employment screening process is a necessity to promote safety, increase productivity and improve health issues in the workplace.

Pre-employment, suspicion-based testing, post-accident testing and random drug testing programs are increasingly used to maintain a safe and productive workplace.

To assist employers with their drug free workplace programs, Master Security provides a variety of drug testing services including:

ORAL FLUID DRUG TESTING

What is Oral Fluid Drug Testing?

Oral fluid drug testing analyzes a saliva sample for parent drugs and their metabolites. An absorbent collection device is placed in the mouth and the saliva collected is screened for drugs of abuse. Samples are checked to verify the saliva is human and undiluted. It is important to note that our saliva testing is a completely laboratory-based process. While some instant collection devices may be available, they are often not properly cleared and are not sensitive enough to detect usage of certain drug classes.

Saliva samples are first screened in a laboratory using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) technology, proven reliable for routine drug testing. Any samples that test positive in the screening process are then subjected to liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/ mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), the latest in drug confirmation technology.

Why choose Oral Fluid testing instead of traditional urine testing?

  • No “shy bladder” delays
  • Very difficult to adulterate as collection is completely observed
  • We can test multiple donors at the same time
  • Helps eliminate donor adulteration, substitution, or dilution
  • Least invasive collection
  • No special facilities required

Oral Fluid Drug Testing Panels

Oral Fluid Drug Testing FAQ

Oral Fluid drug testing analyzes a saliva sample for parent drugs and their metabolites. An absorbent collection device is placed in the mouth and the saliva collected is screened for drugs of abuse. Samples are checked to verify the saliva is human and undiluted.

Oral fluid testing can detect drugs in the saliva within 10 minutes of ingestion. This short timeframe makes it an excellent test for post-accident and reasonable suspicion testing situations.

Like traditional urine testing, the window of detection in oral fluid testing is different for each drug. Of most significance is that oral fluid testing identifies recent usage that may be missed by urine testing. For most drugs, the window of detection in oral fluid is typically 24-48 hours. By contrast, urine testing relies on drug metabolites retained in the body's waste supply and will detect drugs for 24-72 hours.

Saliva samples are first screened in the laboratory using fully cleared enzyme immunoassay (EIA) technology, which has been proven reliable for routine drug testing. Any samples that test positive in the screening process are then subjected to liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). This tandem "MS", as it is called, provides the most sensitive fingerprint of the drug target available.

The lab we use establishes cutoff levels for Confirmation methods based on SAMHSA’s proposed guidelines and on research performed by experts in the field.

A wide range of adulterants have been studied and none have been found that can beat our Oral Fluid drug test system. Of course, donors may attempt to introduce something onto the collection pad or into collection vial. However, this risk is highly unlikely since every collection is directly and easily observed. Dilution tactics often employed to beat urine tests are not effective in saliva testing.

Enzyme-immunoassay antibodies (EIA), similar to those used to test urine, are used for the initial screening test for drugs of abuse in saliva. Therefore the potential for substances such as over-the counter medications to cause a false positive screening result does exist. To eliminate this possibility, the lab we use confirms all positive results by LC/MS/MS.

The donor collects his or her own sample under the direct visual supervision of a trained collector. The donor places the collection pad under their tongue, saturates the absorbent collection pad, places it in a vial, then seals and initials the vial in preparation for transport. The entire process takes 10 minutes or less and is very difficult to challenge as the donor has performed the collection while under observation.

Once our lab receives the specimens they are tested the day they arrive and negative results are reported at the end of the day they are received. Samples requiring confirmation testing are usually reported within 48-72 hours of receipt.

As with all testing, results are reported to the designated party and Medical Review Officer, if appropriate.

The labs’ we use internal chain-of-custody procedure is modeled after the requirements in the SAMHSA guidelines for urinalysis.

Test reports are retained for a period of two years or as mandated by law.

We use the Immunalysis Quantisal collection device with a track record of processing tens of millions of samples over the past decade, the Immunalysis Quantisal device demonstrates comparable positive rates to urine testing.

Drug test sample strip

HAIR FOLLICLE DRUG TESTING

What is Hair Follicle Testing?

Hair testing is the most accurate and effective method of finding drug abusers. Using a small sample of hair cut at the scalp, hair analysis evaluates the amount of drug metabolites embedded inside the hair shaft.

When compared to the more traditional forms of testing, i.e. urine testing, hair samples can detect a longer period of drug use. With urine, most drugs are undetectable if urinalysis is done more than 2-3 days after use, with the exception of marijuana, which may be detected for a slightly longer period of time. After the 2-3 day period, a urine donor will test negative and slip through the urine screening process. With hair samples, the only time limitation for detecting drug usage is imposed by the length of the donor’s hair. Each ½ inch of head hair provides a 30-day history of drug use. The standard for the industry is to test 1.5 inches, which provides a 90-day history of the donor’s drug use.

If no head hair is available, body hair can be used. Bleaches, shampoos and external contaminants (i.e. marijuana smoke) have no known impact on test results.

Why choose Hair Follicle testing instead of traditional urine testing?

The primary differences are:

  • Wider window of detection. 
  • Inability to tamper with the test
  • Non-intrusive collection procedures

Cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates and PCP are rapidly excreted and usually undetectable in urine 72 hours after use. The detection period for hair is limited only by the length of the hair sample and is approximately 90 days for a standard test.

Hair Drug Testing Panels

Hair Follicle Drug Testing FAQ

Since hair growth is fed by the bloodstream, the ingestion of drugs of abuse is revealed by analyzing a small sample of hair. Our testing method measures the drug molecules embedded inside the hair shaft, eliminating external contamination as a source of a positive test result. Hair testing results cannot be significantly altered with shampoos or other external chemicals.

A standard test covers a period of approximately 90 days. The hair sample is cut as close to the scalp as possible and the most recent 1.5 inches are tested.

Hair color is determined by the amount of melanin in the hair. It has been shown experimentally, through actual hair samples, as well as determined in court that hair color has NO basis in fact.

A standard test with GC/MS confirmation requires 60+ milligrams of hair or approximately 90 to 120 strands. The thickness of different types of head hair (thick coarse vs. thinning fine) is the reason for this variation.

The primary differences are:

1) wider window of detection
2) inability to tamper with the test

Cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates and PCP are rapidly excreted and usually undetectable in urine 72 hours after use. The detection period for hair is limited only by the length of the hair sample and is approximately 90 days for a standard test. At this time there are no known adulterants for hair tests. Since hair tests analyze the drugs inside the hair shaft, external contaminants/chemicals have no effect. Additional advantages include non-intrusive collection
procedures, virtual elimination of test evasion. The combination of an increased window of detection and resistance to evasion makes Hair Testing far more effective than urinalysis in correctly identifying drug users.

It takes approximately 4-5 days from the time of drug use for the affected hair to grow above the scalp. Body hair growth rates are generally slower and cannot be utilized to determine a timeframe of drug use.

The minimum time period is approximately two weeks (1/4 inch). Body hair can be used if head hair is too short for a test. If body hair is used the timeframe represented by the test is approximately one year, due to the different growth pattern in hair below the neck.

Hair can be collected from several head locations and combined to obtain the required amount of hair. In addition, body hair may be used as a substitute to head hair. In the rare case where no hair is collectable, complete urine/adulteration testing may be utilized.

Yes, body hair can be used to test for the five standard drug classes, though body hair growth patterns are different than head hair. Most body hair is replaced within approximately one year. This means a test done with body hair will be reported as drug usage during approximately a one year timeframe.

Yes, but the test will be reported as having an "anonymous" donor. We cannot attribute the sample to any specific person and we cannot determine the time frame of the test, so the test result is not legally defensible. The test will only report that the sample submitted had the reported drug metabolite components.

Enzyme-immunoassay antibodies (EIA), similar to those used to test urine, are used for the initial screening test for drugs of abuse in hair; therefore the potential for substances such as over-the counter medications to cause a false positive screening result does exist. To eliminate the possibility of reporting a false-positive due to cross-reactivity, our lab confirms all positive results by GC/MS for methamphetamine, opiates, PCP, cocaine and marijuana.

To rule out the possibility of external contamination, the labs we use have testing that (where appropriate) looks for both parent & metabolite (bi-product) of drug usage. For marijuana analyses, our lab detects only the metabolite (THC-COOH) . This metabolite is only produced by the body and cannot be an environmental contaminant.

Test reports are retained for a period of two years or as mandated by law.