Home-Use Test Kits - Drugs of Abuse (Collection Kit)
What does this test do?
This is a home collection kit for drugs of abuse. You collect a sample of
urine, hair, saliva, or other human material and send it to a laboratory for
analysis. The laboratory does a quick screening test for drugs, then, if the
test suggests that one or more drugs may be present, it performs additional
testing.
What are drugs of abuse?
Examples of drugs of abuse include marijuana, cocaine, opiates (including
heroin), amphetamines (including Ecstasy or MDMA), and PCP (angel dust). Prescription
drugs, such as codeine or other painkillers, also may be abused.
What type of test is this?
This is a qualitative test -- you find out whether or not the person tested
took drugs of abuse, not how much is present.
Why should you use this test?
You should use this test when you think someone you care about might be
using drugs of abuse.
How accurate is this test?
Laboratories use a very reliable test, with very few errors, to determine
whether or not your sample contains drugs of abuse.
Note that all amphetamine results should be considered carefully, even those
from the laboratory. Some over-the-counter medications contain amphetamines
that cannot be distinguished from illegally-abused amphetamines.
Many things can affect the accuracy of this test, including (but not limited
to):
- the way you did the test
- the way you stored the test or urine
- what the person ate or drank before taking the test
- any prescription or over-the-counter drugs the person may have taken
before the test
If the test results are negative, can you be sure that the person you tested
did not take drugs?
No. You may not have taken a sample when it contained drugs. It takes time
for drugs to appear in urine, hair, saliva, or other human materials, and
they do not stay in the in the materials indefinitely; you may have gotten
the sample too soon or too late.
If you get a negative test result, but still suspect that someone is abusing
drugs, you can test again at a later time. Talk to your doctor if you need
more help deciding what steps to take next.
How do you do this test?
You do not do the testing yourself. You simply collect a sample of urine,
hair, saliva, or other human material and send it to a laboratory for analysis.
The laboratory does a preliminary analysis to see if the sample might contain
drugs of abuse. If the result is positive, they will do a more complete analysis
of the sample and report the results to you. These collection kits contain
the sample containers, instructions, and shipping containers. The price you
pay for the kit usually pays for the analysis.
Where can you get more information about drug abuse and drugs of abuse testing?
Back to Consumer Information on Home-Use
Tests
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