Where to find drug tests – Did you know that 40 to 60% of people with substance use disorders relapse? Sometimes, relapse occurs in treatment things surrounded by excellent care and medical providers.
Unfortunately, relapse is a common occurrence on the road to sobriety and frequently pops up with other chronic illnesses. It is not a sign that treatment has failed or isn’t working. However, finding “drug tests near me” is crucial for employers working in rehabilitation facilities and detox centers.
Even standard businesses with routine drug screens need fast, reliable, and accurate testing. Luckily, we have to put together a complete guide that will be help you navigate what an at-home drug test kit is, which type is most beneficial, and how to find a supply company today, so keep reading for more information!
What Are Drug Test Kits?
Drug tests, otherwise known as drug testing kits, are products that detect legal and illegal substances in your body. They can range from prescriptions to federally illegal drugs. Here are some examples of drug screens:
- Urine samples
- Saliva samples
- Hair samples
- Blood test
- Sweat test
Drug test kits notify medical providers, employers, and other personnel regarding whether a person is taking drugs or not (even approved ones).
Where Are Drug Tests Used?
Any industry can benefit from drug testing. The most popular sectors that implement testing are:
- Employment industries (e.g., before hiring, on the job checks)
- Professional and collegiate sports
- Forensics
- Substance use disorder (SUD) or addiction clinics
- Pain clinics
- Medical offices
In substance use disorder and rehabilitation clinics, drug tests monitor sobriety and identify types of drugs in a person’s system. They are crucial pieces for long-term success and managing withdrawal symptoms or other adverse reactions.
Some people even use these drug tests at home. An at-home drug test gives ultimate privacy and protection. It is also a more cost-friendly option than in-office and laboratory testing.
What Do Drug Tests Check For?
Most tests have limited detection, requiring a drug to reach a specific level in your body before being detected on the screen. This refined process helps eliminate false positives and trace amounts of drugs that are sometimes ingested via foods or drinks without knowledge.
Highly sensitive drug testing even checks for metabolites, which are the byproducts of substances. Some of the most commonly tested drugs and chemicals are:
- THC
- Opioids (e.g., heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine, hydrocodone)
- Amphetamines
- Methamphetamine
- Cocaine
- MDMA
- Benzodiazepines (e.g., Xanax)
- Barbiturates
- PCP
- Alcohol
Each substance has different detection windows and half-lives, making it challenging for some providers to choose their drug test. Opting for a more comprehensive panel, like a 10-panel drug test, will check for multiple drugs or medications in one sample.
Types of Drug Tests
Urine and saliva samples are two popular types of over-the-counter drug tests. They are easy to administer, read, and store. You don’t need qualified personnel that can draw blood. Additionally, you will eliminate the need for laboratory analysis.
Although blood tests are accurate, they are cumbersome and can put you at risk for transmissible diseases if mishandled. Urine drug tests are the gold-standard for drug screening. Why?
Urine samples are painless, easy, and affordable. Often, drugs and metabolites have a longer detection window using a urine sample. Here are some examples:
- Daily cannabis use: 2 to 4 weeks.
- Alcohol: up to 12 hours.
- Amphetamines: up to 3 days.
- Long-acting benzodiazepines: up to 30 days.
- Cocaine: up to 4 days.
- Fentanyl has a three-day half-life.
- Heroin: up to 3 days.
- Oxycodone for up to 3 days
The detection window will depend on a person’s frequency of use, body mass, hydration levels, and more.
Urine Drug Tests
A home urine test requires minimal preparation and handling. First, you will need to purchase a urine drug test and decide on the test strips you will use. These can vary in specificity, from THC strips to multi-panel ones.
Next, a person will urinate into the cup and avoid placing anything else in the container to not contaminate the sample. In some instances, a medical provider or technician will accompany the person during this process.
Results are often ready after five minutes, although you should perform a temperature check within a minute.
Saliva Drug Tests
Saliva or mouth swab tests work slightly differently. Some of these are harder to falsify, so some providers might prefer them. All that is required is a mouth swab kit, which comes in similar packages and testing, like urine drug tests. You will have the option of multi-panel strips or individual ones.
The process for saliva drug testing is:
- Insert the spongy tip into the mouth for three to five minutes
- Check that the swab is soaked before removal
- Insert the swab into the test tube.
- Place upright after closing the lid.
- Results are ready after 10 minutes
The benefit of saliva drug tests is that they have a 98% accuracy rate. However, there is more room for error and false readings based on:
- Test type
- Drug concentration
- Testing timeframe
- Testing device
Most experts continue to recommend urine samples, but saliva tests are quick and easy to have on hand for additional drug screening.
How to Read a Drug Test
At Ovus Medical, the process of reading a drug test is straightforward. After the allotted time has passed, there are two testing regions on the strips: control (C) and test (T). There should always be an identifiable band on the control side.
If only one band shows up under “C,” the sample detected traces of the drug. When the test strip shows a band in the “C” and “T” regions, it is negative. You have an invalid test when a band does not pop up under “C.”
Are at-home drug tests accurate?
In one word, yes. But the answer is a bit more complex. An at-home alcohol test and drug sample is accurate depending on the person administering the test and how well they follow the outlined instructions.
If administered properly, urine drug tests are 99% accurate. After a positive reading, you should send the sample to a laboratory for confirmation. The downside of at-home drug testing is that it detects prescription drugs that provide false readings.
This is commonly seen in patients prescribed amphetamines. If you test for the wrong drug, you may miss detection. This is why 10 panel or extensive drug testing is beneficial (more on that below).
Saliva samples are also perfect and give you the added benefit of monitoring the person during the process. Close monitoring eliminates tampered samples, ensuring better accuracy. However, saliva samples are primarily used for short detection windows.
Urine samples detect metabolites and drugs that have been in a person’s system for six to twelve hours. Saliva samples have a shorter time frame and are ideal in situations where you want to test for a drug you suspect was taken within a few hours.
Cut-Off Detection Windows
Most laboratories and industries have cut-off windows that require a drug to reach a certain level in the body before identifying as positive. The main benefit of cut-off detection windows is that they eliminate false positives.
Remember that these cut-offs could risk missing detection if they are just below the identifiable amount. It is critical that you test multiple times if you suspect drug abuse or misuse. Some common minimal detection windows are:
- Marijuana: 50 ng/mL
- Opiates: 2000 ng/mL
- Cocaine: 300 ng/mL
- Amphetamines: 1000 ng/mL
- PCP: 25 ng/mL
Check with a company’s minimal detection window first before purchasing your product for more information on the minimum detection windows needed and the best drug tests for your clinic or facility.
How to Find “Drug Tests Near Me”
Have you searched for “where to get drug test?” and come up empty-handed? There are a few questions to consider before purchasing bulk supply drug tests, such as:
- How much is a drug test?
- What drug testing kits and strips do you need?
- How easy are the tests to admin?
- Can you purchase in bulk?
First, outsourcing drug tests through labs and other facilities is costly and time-consuming. They are necessary personnel if you have a positive drug screen and want a second confirmation, but they are often cumbersome for first-line approaches.
Instead, purchasing at-home drug test kits is affordable and provides you with a front-line approach to drug and substance detection. Urine samples are the go-to method and should not be neglected in facilities testing residents or employees frequently. At Ovus Medical, we specialize in saliva and urine drug samples, including various types of test strips such as:
- THC
- 3-panel
- 4-panel
- 10-panel
- 12-panel
Saliva swabs come with a 10 panel strip, arguably one of the most popular drug testing types on the market.
10 Panel Drug Test Benefits
Why are 10 panel drug tests popular amongst employers and drug rehab programs? It encompasses some of the most popular prescription and illegal drugs. As the name hints, a 10 panel test detects up to ten substances in one sample or screening, including:
- THC
- Amphetamines
- Cocaine
- Benzodiazepines
- Opioids
- Barbiturates
- PCP
- Methaqualone
- Propoxyphene
- Methadone
These are generic substances, and not every test strip includes all these. At Ovus Medical, our 10 panel urine drug test requires just five minutes before you can read the results and tests for the following substances:
- Amphetamines
- Benzodiazepines
- Buprenorphine
- Cocaine
- Ecstasy
- THC
- Methadone
- Methamphetamine
- Morphine
- Oxycodone
These are likely more familiar drugs seen in rehab centers, making the Ovus Medical test strip an excellent comprehensive screen for residents recovering from addiction and substance use disorders. Other than marijuana, the Ovus Medical 10 panel urine test detects most of these substances within one to four days after ingestion.
As mentioned earlier, this will vary based on the type of drug and a person’s metabolism. What the person ate or drank before hand also plays into the results.
Cost of a Home Drug Test
The cost of an at home urine test with a panel ranges from under $4 to $1.29 through Ovus Medical. The price fluctuation is dependent on the number of panels.
Home urine samples are highly fleeting and customizable, with options from 5 panel testing to 18 panel testing. Although 10 panel is the standard, the benefit of choosing a panel with more drug tests is that you get testing for alcohol use and fentanyl.
Alcohol, or ethyl-glucuronide, can remain detected in urine for up to three days. The minimum alcohol detection cut-off is 300 ng/mL, making it an ideal choice for an alcohol detox and rehab center.
Do You Need Fentanyl Testing?
Fentanyl has quickly become one of the most deadly drugs in the United States. Unfortunately, no industry is entirely immune, and having a top rated company that offers quick and perfect fentanyl testing is important.
Medical and health experts have without covering that fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Most heavy doses are related to illegally distributed fentanyl, often without knowledge. These situations can occur from drugs laced with fentanyl or without label drug purchases.
Synthetic opioid overdoses were 12 times higher in 2019 than six years prior, and the number continues to escalate. When shopping for drug testing, don’t neglect companies like Ovus Medical, which offer customizable testing options that include synthetic opioids for better and more detection.
Is Buying in Bulk Cheaper?
On average, buying in bulk is cheaper. This is the last decision you should take into account before buying an at home drug test kit. Bulk drug testing supplies offer more benefits than affordability, such as decrease re-supply orders.
Supply chain demands and sluggish ship make receive much needed supplies on time dare. Opting for bulk shipments reduces the headache of ordering new shipments frequently. At Ovus Medical, we provide options for standard testing cup purchases from 10 to 1000 cups or bulk drugs and COVID-19 testing options.
Purchasing Your Next Drug Test Shipment
If you have wondered “how to find drug tests near me,” hopefully, you have a better idea of the key aspects to look for in a supply company. They should have perfect ship, including bulk checkout options and extensive testing kits and strips.
If you want perfect, accurate, and easy-to-use test kits, Ovus Medical has you covered. From urine to saliva samples, our kits detect substances within minutes and are easy to read. Ready to get started?
Check out our website and discount bundles to save even more money on your next drug test shipment!
