Urine Drug Testing Facts
Urine testing for the presence of drugs has become commonplace in the workforce. Employers want to ensure their employees are drug free, and urine testing provides an accurate and inexpensive method for doing that. There are some basic facts you should know about urine drug testing.
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Sample Collection
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Test subjects provide a fresh sample of urine, typically given at a testing facility. Depending on the test requirements, the subject will give the sample in private or under the observation of a facility employee. The container is sealed and the sample is sent to a lab for analysis.
Testing Method
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Urine testing typically uses a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method to separate and analyze the contents of the urine. This method allows the lab to determine the type of any drug found in the urine, as well as its quantity.
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Costs
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Urine tests are one of the least expensive drug testing methods. This makes the test highly attractive to businesses looking to test current or potential employees.
Accuracy
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Urine tests are highly effective and accurate for testing the presence of drugs. Urine tests also have a longer detection period, typically about twice as long, as blood or saliva tests.
Recognition
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Urine tests are capable of testing for almost any kind of drug, and recently have begun being used to test for the presence of alcohol.
Drawbacks
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It is essential to the success of a urine test that the sample be properly stored prior to testing. If the sample is contaminated or diluted the test result will not be accurate.
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References
- Photo Credit Photo: The National Guard/ Flickr.com Creative Commons
