Who should choose instant urine drug testing?
Instant urine drug testing is a more budget friendly alternative to laboratory testing. It is typically utilized by employers, concerned parents, and schools.
Instant urine drug testing is a good choice for individuals that prefer their results to be completely confidential, aren't interested in quantitative values, and need results immediately.
What is the advantage of instant urine drug testing versus a laboratory test?
Instant urine testing has some benefits over laboratory testing:
- Instant urine tests can be collected just about anywhere. Testing can be performed at home, or at our clinic.
- Instant tests are less expensive than laboratory tests.
- Results are available in minutes instead of days.
What is the disadvantage of instant urine drug testing versus a laboratory test?
While there are benefits to instant tests, there are also disadvantages to instant testing:
- Instant test kits don't last forever, they have a shelf life of about 18 months. If the kit is used after the expiration date, the result may not be accurate.
- Instant test kits must be stored properly for them to provide an accurate result. Kits should be stored in a cool, dry, stable location to maintain effectiveness. If a kit is exposed to extreme temperatures, humidity, or contaminants, it is possible that the kit will provide inaccurate results or no result at all.
- If the test is performed at home, the result cannot be confirmed at a laboratory. If the test is performed at our clinic, you will have the option to send the sample to a laboratory for confirmation for an additional fee.
- Instant test kits do not provide any quantitative value, the result is either positive or negative.
- Instant test kits come in multiple configurations, each configuration tests for a different set of drugs. This means that the kit may test for drugs that may or may not be of interest to the donor.
- Manufacturers of instant test kits typically only include common drugs of abuse in their test kits. Drugs that are new, obscure, or less common, may not be available in an instant test kit.
How long can drugs be detected with an instant urine test?
There is no difference between a laboratory-based urine drug test and an instant test in regard to the detection times. How long a drug can be detected with a urine test is influenced by many factors:
- What drug was used.
- How much of the drug was used.
- How the drug was administered (orally, injected, smoked, etc.).
- How "pure" the drug was.
In addition to the list above, an individual's biology can also affect how long a drug can be detected in a urine sample.
If you know the drug you are interested in testing for, you can contact us and we can provide you with an approximate detection time for that drug. It's important to understand though, that any detection time we provide is likely to be very broad and is only an estimate.
How is instant urine testing performed?
Instant urine drug testing is performed by having the donor provide a urine sample directly into the testing kit, or into a sterile urine collection cup which is then poured into the testing kit.
Once a sample is collected, the individual administering the test waits a set amount of time before reading the test results.
If the collection is performed at our clinic, the donor will receive a result that is signed by the collector. If the collection is performed at home, no result is provided other than what the test kit reads.
Collections performed at our office can also be observed if requested. If a test is observed, a trained observer of the same sex as the donor will follow the donor into the restroom or restroom stall to ensure that the donor does not tamper with or substitute their sample.
If the test is positive and was collected at our clinic, the donor will have the option to have the result confirmed at a laboratory for an additional fee. If confirmation is requested, the sample is packaged and sent to the laboratory for testing.