Drug Testing Overview


Each year in the United States, hundreds of millions of drug tests are performed for employment purposes, in legal cases, by concerned parents, for sobriety monitoring, and by hospitals. Regardless of the reason why a drug test is taken, we provide donors with access to the testing they need, the privacy they expect, and the dignity and respect they deserve.

Drug testing is performed to determine if a donor has been taking one or more drugs. Testing can be performed using various sample types, each sample type has different drugs it can test for and different detection times and methods. Because of this, it's important to make sure that the right sample type is used.

Urine testing can determine if a donor has used drugs recently and is the most common type of drug test in the United States. It has been the test that employers, concerned parents, probation officers, and even schools have turned to for decades. Urine testing can be performed at a SAMHSA certified laboratory or with an instant test kit.

Hair drug testing can help determine if a donor has used drugs repeatedly in the past, or if they were recently in an environment where drugs were present or being used. Hair testing can be performed using hair from the donor's head or their body.

Nail testing, like hair, can determine if a donor has used drugs repeatedly in the past. Nail samples can be taken from a person's fingers or toes.

Which drug test should I choose?

The type of test you choose depends on a few factors:

  • What drug, or drugs, need to be tested for?
  • How far back in the past do you want to look for use?
  • Are you checking to see if the donor was using drugs or if they were in an environment where drugs were present or being used by others.

You can compare the types of drug tests we offer below.

Urine Urine At Home Hair Fingernail/Toenail

* The detection time listed is the average detection time. Every donor is different and different drugs may have different detection windows. Make sure you check the specific detection time for the drug and test type you are interested in before selecting a test.

† Anonymous tests cannot be used in legal proceedings.

‡ Samples collected outside of a clinic cannot be used in legal proceedings. Certain rules and restrictions may apply.

Average drug detection window* Varies by drug Varies by drug Head Hair: 30 days per half inch
Body Hair: Up to 1 year
Fingernail: 3-6 months
Toenail: 6-12 months
Turnaround time for result 24-48 hours 5-10 minutes 5-10 days 5-10 days
Result can be used in legal proceedings
Positive results are confirmed Only if sent to a laboratory for confirmation
Provides a quantitative result
Donor can remain anonymous
Multiple drugs can be tested at once
Sample can be self-collected at home and brought or sent in for testing
Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

If you aren't sure which test to choose, contact us to discuss your situation and we can help you find the test that works for you.