| Conducting a urine drug test requires four steps: | | | | positives so that legitimate prescription drugs can |
| collection, screening, confirmation, and review. | | | | be ruled out as contributors to the positive |
| Urine samples are commonly used to test the | | | | result.o Some urine samples can be screened at |
| presence of various drugs in a person's system | | | | the collection site and results can be known within |
| because such testing is simple and mostly reliable. | | | | minutes - others are screened at a laboratory. |
| Not to mention, urine tests are much cheaper | | | | Negative results are accepted as is and are not |
| than other kinds - lab technicians usually aren't | | | | confirmed or reviewed.o Urine specimens that |
| required. | | | | show the presence of drugs in the initial screening |
| Likewise, the drug test kits used for urine testing | | | | are examined again in a laboratory setting under |
| are easy to store and they have a long shelf life. | | | | two analytic techniques called gas |
| Some kits come in packs with gloves and cups; | | | | chromatography and mass spectrometry. |
| they are very easy to use. Twelve different | | | | Through gas chromatography, the various |
| drugs can be tested through this method but | | | | substances in the urine are separated and through |
| there are certain drawbacks. Urine sample | | | | mass spectrometry, they are shown as positive |
| contamination is not difficult, there is only a | | | | or negative.o The laboratory results are then |
| three-day window of detection, and some | | | | written out and given to the urine donor or the |
| subjects find the process invasive and | | | | authority that required the test. |
| embarrassing. | | | | Warning about urine tests |
| Here is the process for a conducting a urine drug | | | | The government has some new guidelines for |
| test:o A temperature strip on the collection | | | | drug testing that require all laboratories to |
| container guards against substitute samples and | | | | perform "specimen integrity," especially for urine |
| fraud. A tamper evident is put over the specimen | | | | tests. Since there is so much fraud, in that people |
| container and then the subject is asked to initial | | | | simply use other people's urine to submit a drug |
| the container and thus verify that there was no | | | | test, the effectiveness of tests comes into |
| fraud.o The specimen (urine) is then screened for | | | | question. As well, laboratories have been ordered |
| drugs and drug metabolites. If there are positive | | | | to not look for just marijuana and other illicit |
| results, a second test is conducted to confirm this. | | | | drugs, but for other additives that evidence |
| A physician or nurse then reviews the confirmed | | | | contamination (like dilution and adulterants). |