Drug abuse has negative impacts on a person’s health and family. But it also places a heavy burden on companies, costing employers $81 billion a year.
It has become common for American companies to require prospective employees undergo drug testing. Sometimes they even conduct random drug tests. They do this to avoid workplace accidents and to ensure productivity does not suffer.
Purchase Drug Tests HereIn many cases, companies will conduct a home urine test on-site. However, companies are not the only ones who might need to use an over-the-counter drug test.
Schools may carry out drug tests, and so can people worried about a child or spouse with previous substance abuse issues. Drug treatment centers will also use urine tests to keep tabs on their patients and ensure they stay sober.
People out on probation after committing a crime might also have to take a drug test from time to time.
Keep reading to learn more about how urine drug tests work and important questions such as whether you can re-use them.
What is a home urine test?
There are two main ways to test urine for drug use.
One is a multi-panel drug test cup. This is a cup that can test for a variety of different drugs. Some will test only five, while others can accurately detect up to 18 different substances. These tests can detect drugs taken a few days ago or several weeks ago.
The basic cup will test for:
- Amphetamines
- Opiates and morphine
- Cocaine
- Marijuana
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
Drug treatment centers or correctional facilities might wish to sample a broader range of drugs. Additional substances that a test cup with a wider panel can detect include:
- Buprenorphine, a substance found in suboxone
- Benzodiazepines
- Fentanyl
- Methadone
- Oxycodone
- Alcohol
You might be wondering how to make yourself pee for a drug test.
You can prepare by drinking plenty of water before you take the test. If you forget to do so, some other tips include bending over while sitting on the toilet or placing a hand in warm water.
You will start off by urinating into the clean, dry test cup. Then screw the cap back on. After a few minutes, the health professional or test operator will peel back a strip label, which will reveal the results.
Another method is to urinate into a device to hold urine for the drug test. Then you can dip a variety of strips, such as THC test strips, which come as part of a weed testing kit, into the urine.
How long does a urine drug test take?
Once you have provided the urine sample, you should have your results in a matter of minutes.
Both the test strip and the cup test should be read after five minutes. If you read it after 10 minutes, the result will be invalid. However, if the urine drug test is sent to a lab, it may take you a few days to receive your result.
How to Read Urine Drug Test Results
Drug test results can be interpreted via a band on the testing device. There will be a control line (C) and a test line (T).
You will always see a control line unless the test is faulty. Unlike other tests, like a pregnancy test, a urine drug test will show a positive result in the absence of a test line.
These urine samples give the most accurate home drug test available, with around 99 percent accuracy. However, interactions with other medications or even the food you eat can cause a false positive.
In any case, if there is a positive result, you should confirm it with another test method. You should send the cup and the urine specimen to a laboratory for further testing.
Can You Re-Use a Urine Drug Test?
If you are using a urine cup, the answer is no. Once you have urinated into the cup and read the initial result, you should either discard the urine and the cup or send the urine to a laboratory for further testing.
This urine should be stored in a refrigerator to prevent bacteria from contaminating the sample. If you wish to do another test, you should get a fresh cup and a fresh urine sample.
You can also not use a test strip twice. If you want to test the urine again, get a fresh test strip to dip into it.
How Long Do Drugs Stay in Your System?
The length of time that different drugs will stay in your system depends on how often and how much you consume them.
For example, if you smoke weed once every few months, it will stay in your system for up to three days. However, if you use it on a daily basis, it will be detectable for up to 30 days.
A urine drug test will pick up the use of alcohol in only the past 12–24 hours. Opioids and cocaine will stay in your system for up to three days.
Get Accurate Drug Test Results at Home
No at-home drug test method is foolproof, but a home urine test is one of the most widely used methods with high accuracy. In only a few minutes, you will be able to see if someone is clean and sober.
It is essential that you follow the instructions to get an accurate reading. If you attempt to re-use a urine testing cup or a test strip, you will not be able to trust the results.
Contact us to purchase a wide variety of drug tests.