Administering a drug test is a normal part of most background checks for companies hiring new employees, particularly for anyone working in a factory industry or operating heavy machinery. However, there are multiple drug screening options for detecting the presence of illegal or banned substances. While all are effective at identifying various substances in a person’s system, each does so in a different manner.

Different Types of Drug Tests

1. Urine Screening

The most common method of testing for drugs, urine screening detects alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids. It’s typically administered by a doctor or a trained technician, and two main types can be used. An immunoassay test is quick and cost-effective, but it’s more likely to come back with a false-positive result than its counterpart. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is a more reliable form of substance abuse testing that also detects a wider range of drugs.

2. Hair Follicle Testing

This method is more effective at finding positive indications of drug use than urine screening. This is because the drugs in the bloodstream become part of the hair’s cells and can be detected for up to 90 days — as opposed to the 3-day window with urine screenings. A screener takes between 100 and 120 hairs from the subject’s head or body and sends them to a laboratory to check for any drug presence. Since the drug test is more involved and offers a more extensive chemical view, this option is more expensive than a urine test.

3. Oral Fluid Detection

For detecting drug use in a short window, oral fluid testing is the most effective. An absorbent collects a sample of the subject’s saliva, which is scanned for a variety of drugs used in the last 24-48 hours. This option’s process is constantly observed by an administrator, making it much more difficult for a subject to try and cheat the test.

Drug testing is an important method of ensuring the safety of a company’s employees. The experts at EMSI – BiState Professional Services in Chesterfield, MO, provide reliable and accurate tests that check for a variety of substances. With an AABB accreditation and over 30 years of experience, they offer a variety of health screening options and drug tests to ensure exact results. To schedule their services, call (636) 537-3200.