Drug Testing

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Drug Testing

• Dr. Clower

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General Information

• What is a drug test?
• Controversy
• Privacy
• Accuracy
• Types of tests
• Sample analyzed in lab
• On-site testing
• What is tested for?
• NIDA 5
• Expanded tests
• Additional tests
• What is a tox screen?

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The NIDA 5

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
  Administration (SAMHSA)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Cannabinoids
• Cocaine
• Amphetamines
• Opiates
• Phencyclidine

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Detection Periods
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Types of Drug Tests

• Urine drug screen
• Most common
• Least expensive
• Test card or lab
• Intrusive
• Detection within a week
• Sample substitution/adulteration can you beat
  the test?

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Types of Drug Tests

• Hair drug screen
• Accurate
• Expensive
• Unintrusive
• Detection timeline 3 months or longer
• What if you shave your head?

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Types of Drug Tests

• 3. Blood drug screen
• Most expensive
• Most intrusive
• Most accurate
• Least common
• Usually used after an accident (workplace or
  other)
• Problem blood disposal

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Types of Drug Tests

• Saliva drug screen / Oral fluid-based drug screen
  
• Cost middle-of-the-road
• Unintrusive
• Becoming more common
• Detect recent use
• Less reliable/legally acceptable

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Types of Drug Tests

• Sweat drug screen
• Relatively intrusive
• Uncommon
• Accuracy controversial
• Often used by government institutions (e.g. CPS,
  parole)
• Security feature

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Drug Testing Methodologies

• Tamper-evident seal
• Make the sample testable
• Screening test
• Immunoassay
• False positives and negatives
• Confirmation test
• Mass spectrometry
• Test sensitivity

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Types of Testing

• Pre-employment drug testing
• Random drug testing
• Post-incident drug testing

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False Positives

• Immunoassays
• Ibuprofen
• Decongestants
• Diet pills
• Others

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True Positives

• Poppy seeds
• Hormone supplements