The major difference between different types of drug tests is the collection of specimen. But the advantages and disadvantages of these distinct drug tests vary in terms of many issues like invasiveness in specimen collection, risk of tampering the specimen, cost of drug test, time taken to produce results, accuracy of the results, etc. Of all the drug tests, Urine and Saliva drug tests are very common because of their efficiency to provide accurate results.
Features of urine and saliva drug testing
Both the urine drug testing and the saliva drug testing have their own advantages as well as some disadvantages.
Collection of specimen:
The major advantage of saliva drug testing over urine drug testing is its least invasiveness of privacy while collecting specimen. This has been a controversy since a long time in all the places of drug testing. The process of collecting saliva for a drug test is obviously less invasive compared to the case of urine drug test.
Chances of adulteration:
The chances of adulteration in saliva drug test are very less, compared to urine drug test. In case of saliva drug test, it is feasible to collect the specimen under legible supervision. Thus, minimizing the chances of tampering the specimen. This is not possible in case of urine drug testing. However, saliva drug test is not completely free from adulteration.
Detection period of drug abuse:
The detection period of drug abuse through saliva drug test is shorter, compared to urine drug test. The detection period in case of saliva drug test is around 20 hours to 1 day approximately, whereas it is around 3 days in case of urine drug test.
Accuracy of results:
The accuracy rate of both, urine and saliva drug tests are deemed by the United States court system. However, the accuracy rate of urine drug test results is much higher than that of saliva drug test results, the risk of false negatives is high in both the drug tests.
Cost of drug test
Cost-effectiveness is the major advantage of urine drug tests compared to any type of drug tests. The cost of saliva drug test is a little higher, compared to urine drug test. However, the cost of saliva drug testing complies with the quality of the drug test.
As both saliva drug test and urine drug test, have their own advantages and disadvantages it is not feasible to use any one of them in all the situations. Based on the comparison of features mentioned above, it will be easier to analyze and choose a drug test according to the situation.
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Comparison Of Urine And Saliva Drug Tests
Posted in pass saliva drug test 
Tags: Drug Test Accuracy, Saliva Drug Tests, Urine Drug Testing 
4 Comments »Hair Drug Testing: Accurate and Effective
Many companies require a drug test when hiring a new employee. They may require it instead of or alongside of a background check. This ensures companies that they are getting an employee that is reliable. However, while most utilize urine drug testing, many have not caught on to the effective and accurate method of hair drug testing that would provide them a much better view of an individual.
The bottom line is that the traditional forms of drug testing are not going to provide information on a very long period of time. For example, with urine most drugs are only detectable for a few days after their use. While there are some drugs that may be detected past this time frame, it is possible that the drug would pass out of the body quickly and be undetected by the test. While many companies combat this by having employees take the test within 24 or 48 hours it is still not foolproof. In comparison, a hair drug test is going to provide a 90 day history of the applicant’s drug habits. This can be tested with 1.5 inches of hair.
It is amazing that the hairs on our head hold so much information. While head hair is preferable, it is even possible for hair on other areas of the body to be used. It is remarkable that this information is simply hidden inside the follicles of our hair and can be pulled out at any time.
A hair drug test screens for the same drugs that a urine test screens for. When the lab tests for drugs through this method they would typically remove about 40-50 strands. This may seem like a lot but it is really a small amount of hair. I’m sure it will grow back quickly!
The great thing about using a hair drug test is that it could be potentially used in random drug pools to be a more accurate indication of an individual’s drug use, especially when a company or position has a strict anti-drug policy. Generally speaking random drug pools are used in very safety sensitive positions and other positions that require people to be in tip top condition at all times. By utilizing this type of test they are going to get more accurate results that will potentially help keep more individuals off drugs and weed out those individuals that are getting away with using on the job.
Drug testing accuracy is really based on the technology that is used for the test. It is also dependent upon the skills of the organization you use for processing the drug screens. This makes it very important to research and understand the company you are utilizing for your drug screening procedures. Further, proper handling of all samples is very important as is the processing of the samples. Work with a well-known and professional company to achieve the best results. Often times the nature of the drugs themselves will sway the results as the chemical nature varies widely for each drug.
As companies look for ways to hire the best employees they may start to have stricter standards when it comes to background check procedures and drug screens. Perhaps hair drug testing will be the new way to go. Perhaps we can say goodbye to the little cup we think of so fondly when we enter our local drug testing facility and say hello to a nice new pair of shears. Only time will tell.
Saliva/oral Drug Testing – a Solution to Corporate Drug Testing
The fact that America consumes 60% of the world’s illicit drugs (Drug Enforcement Administration) makes employee drug testing compulsory for the US companies to maintain the work standards. Drug testing to the employees is an issue to many of the organizations as it involves many issues such as privacy, sample adulteration, complexity, time and cost involved in drug testing. Saliva drug testing is an ideal solution for these problems making corporate drug testing easier and efficient.
A major concern of drug testing at workplace is the privacy of the candidate. Using saliva drug testing sample collection is less hazardous and less embarrassing for the parties. Oral fluid drug testing is socially acceptable and is not degrading unlike urine drug testing. There is no need for privacy during sample collection. Saliva drug test is considered as donor friendly, as it has easy to collect specimen procedure.
Another issue in corporate drug testing is the cost involved in the entire process. Sample collection through the regular urine based drug testing techniques, sending them to the laboratory and getting results is quite expensive which is not affordable to small organizations. Saliva drug testing makes it cost effective by simplifying the process through uncomplicated sample collection, onsite testing and instant results.
Most of the organizations depend on age old Urine drug testing process, which is subject to adulteration and substitution, and it does not include screening for prescription painkillers. Oral fluid-based testing cannot be cheated because specimen collection is directly monitored, which makes it more efficient when compared to urine drug testing.
Industry experts consider implementing random drug testing as the most effective method to deter on-the-job drug abuse. Urine drug testing does not support random testing as both the parties are uncomfortable with the complex process. Oral fluid drug testing enables the employers to conduct random drug testing with ease in no time.
According to DEA, each year, the costs to U.S. employers exceed $140 billion, as 77% of all drug abusers are employed, and eight to ten percent of workers in any company abuse drugs. On average, each drug abuser costs a corporation $10,000 per year. These statistics sense the urgency of efficient organizational drug testing that could be possible by oral fluid drug testing. This is because it can be used in all the cases of pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, return-to-duty drug testing, which are necessary to an organization to deter drug abuse at the work place.
Posted in pass saliva drug test Tags: Drug Abuse Urine, Industry Experts, Urine Drug Testing No Comments »