What you need to know about common drug testing panels and specimen types
Summary
TLDRIn this informative video series, National Drug Screening's President, Mr. Joe Riley, discusses the intricacies of drug testing in the workplace. He explains the standard five-panel drug test, which includes marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP, and its variations like the 10-panel test. Riley also addresses the importance of specimen types, such as urine, oral fluid, and hair, each with its detection window and challenges in cheating. He highlights the impact of changing laws on drug testing, especially regarding marijuana, and stresses the need for employers to be aware of state laws and choose the appropriate testing method to maintain a drug-free workplace.
Takeaways
- đ The most common drug testing panel is the five-panel test, which includes marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP.
- đ Amphetamines in the five-panel test also cover MDMA and MDA (ecstasy), and methamphetamines.
- đ The opiates section of the test includes codeine, morphine, heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, and hydromorphone.
- đ The five-panel test has evolved over time, with drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and various opioids being added around 2018.
- đ For Department of Transportation (DOT) regulated companies, the five-panel test is mandatory, while non-regulated companies might opt for a 10-panel test or customize their panels.
- đż Some non-regulated companies may choose to drop marijuana from their drug testing panels due to changing legal landscapes.
- đ§Ș Traditionally, urine has been the primary specimen type for drug testing, but oral fluid and hair testing are becoming more common.
- đ€ Oral fluid testing is non-invasive and detects recent drug use, making it suitable for post-accident or reasonable suspicion testing.
- đââïž Hair testing can detect drug use from approximately 7 days to 90 days prior, offering a longer look-back period compared to other methods.
- đ« Cheating on drug tests is more difficult with oral fluid and hair testing as the collection process is supervised.
- đŠ Employers may choose different specimen types based on their specific needs, such as immediate detection, long-term detection, or compliance with state laws and regulations.
Q & A
What is the most common drug testing panel used in drug-free workplace programs?
-The most common drug testing panel is the five-panel drug test, which includes marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP.
What substances are covered under the five-panel drug test?
-The five-panel drug test covers marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines (including MDA and methamphetamines), opiates (including codeine, morphine, heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, and hydromorphone), and PCP.
What is the difference between a five-panel and a ten-panel drug test?
-A ten-panel drug test includes the substances in a five-panel test plus additional drugs such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, methaqualone, and sometimes methadone.
Why might an employer choose to use a 10-panel test instead of a five-panel test?
-Employers might choose a 10-panel test to include additional drugs like benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and methadone for more comprehensive drug screening.
What is the significance of the 2018 expansion of opiates in drug testing?
-The expansion of opiates in drug testing around 2018 was due to the opioid crisis and overprescribing of opioids in the United States.
How does the drug testing panel choice differ between DOT-regulated and non-regulated companies?
-DOT-regulated companies must follow specific drug testing panels as required by the government, while non-regulated companies have more flexibility and can choose different panels based on their needs and state laws.
What are the common specimen types used for drug testing?
-The common specimen types used for drug testing are urine, oral fluid, and hair.
Why is urine the most traditional specimen type for drug testing?
-Urine has been the most traditional specimen type for drug testing since the late 1980s because it is non-invasive, easy to collect, and detects drug use over a period of days to weeks.
What is the advantage of oral fluid testing over urine testing?
-Oral fluid testing is advantageous because it detects very recent drug use and is collected in the presence of a tester, making it more difficult to cheat.
How far back in time can hair testing detect drug use?
-Hair testing can detect drug use from about 7 days to approximately 90 days, providing a longer look-back period compared to urine or oral fluid.
Why might an employer choose to use a combination of different specimen types for drug testing?
-Employers might use a combination of specimen types to cover different detection windows and to reduce the possibility of cheating, such as using oral fluid for reasonable suspicion or post-accident testing and hair for pre-employment testing.
How do changing marijuana laws affect the choice of specimen type for drug testing?
-Changing marijuana laws may lead employers to choose oral fluid testing for marijuana use because it detects the parent drug in saliva rather than metabolites in urine, which can remain detectable for longer periods.
Outlines
đ Introduction to Drug Testing Panels
The video series introduces the topic of drug testing with a focus on common drug testing panels and specimen types. Mr. Joe Riley, president of National Drug Screening, shares his expertise in the industry since 1993. He discusses the evolution of drug testing, including the standard five-panel test that includes marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP. The conversation also touches on the expansion of the panel to include additional drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, and various prescription opioids. Mr. Riley explains the difference between regulated and non-regulated drug testing and the flexibility employers have in choosing the panel that suits their needs.
đ Specimen Types and Testing Options
This section delves into the different types of specimen used for drug testing, such as urine, oral fluid, and hair. The discussion highlights the traditional use of urine for DOT testing and the upcoming introduction of oral fluid testing in 2024. For non-regulated testing, oral fluid and hair testing are popular alternatives. The conversation explores the advantages of each specimen type, such as the difficulty of cheating with oral fluid and hair testing, and the detection window they provide. Urine tests can detect drug use from 2 to 6 days, oral fluid from a few hours to about 2.5 days, and hair testing can look back up to 90 days.
đ« Cheating and the Reliability of Tests
The script addresses the issue of cheating on drug tests, with a focus on the collection process for each specimen type. Urine tests are conducted in private, which may allow for cheating, whereas oral fluid and hair tests are collected in the presence of a tester, reducing the chance of cheating. The conversation also discusses the accuracy and reliability of different tests, with oral fluid being more suitable for recent drug use and hair testing providing a longer detection window. The discussion also touches on the legal implications of drug testing, especially with the changing laws around marijuana use.
đż Impact of Marijuana Legalization on Drug Testing
The final paragraph discusses the impact of marijuana legalization on drug testing practices. It highlights the challenges employers face in states where marijuana use is legal and how it affects the decision to include marijuana in drug testing panels. The conversation suggests that oral fluid testing might be a better option for marijuana due to its ability to detect the parent drug in saliva. The discussion also mentions the potential development of a marijuana breathalyzer, which could significantly change the landscape of drug testing.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄDrug Testing
đĄPanel
đĄSpecimen Types
đĄFive Panel Drug Test
đĄOral Fluid Testing
đĄHair Testing
đĄCheating
đĄDOT (Department of Transportation)
đĄMarijuana Laws
đĄOpioid Crisis
đĄMedical Review Officer (MRO)
Highlights
Introduction to common drug testing panels and specimen types
Joe Riley's experience in drug testing industry since 1993
The most common drug testing panel is the five-panel drug test
The five-panel drug test includes marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP
Amphetamines in the five-panel test include MDMA, MDA, and methamphetamines
Opioids in the five-panel test include codeine, morphine, heroin, and various prescription opioids
The expansion of opiates in drug testing panels around 2018
The option for employers to use a 10-panel drug test
The 10-panel drug test adds benzodiazepines, barbiturates, methaqualone, and methadone to the five-panel
The concept of customized panels beyond the standard 10-panel
The importance of testing for fentanyl due to the current crisis
The impact of state laws and union contracts on drug testing panels
The use of oral fluid testing for non-regulated drug testing
The process of oral fluid collection and its advantages over urine testing
Hair testing as a method to detect drug use over a 90-day period
The difficulty of cheating on oral fluid and hair testing
The accuracy and reliability of different specimen types for drug testing
The appropriate use of oral fluid testing for post-accident or reasonable suspicion testing
The potential for combining different specimen types for drug testing
The impact of changing marijuana laws on drug testing practices
The potential development of a marijuana breathalyzer
Advice for employers on handling marijuana positive results
Transcripts
Welcome to our video series here at
National Drug Screening employers have
lots of questions about drug testing
especially in this everchanging world uh
one of the things we're going to be
talking about today in in this
particular video is common drug testing
panels and specimen types what should
you be using what should you not be
using and what you need to
[Music]
know
so welcome to this video series today in
the studi with us as our president of
National Drug Screening Mr Joe Riley um
Mr Riley has been in the drug testing
industry since 1993 he's implemented
drug testing programs and policies for
companies not only across the State of
Florida where he first launched his his
first company but also all over the
United States he's also served as an
expert witness provided webinars
trainings uh for organizations including
governmental agencies all across the
country and one of the big things that
changes coming up these days for
employers is specimen types you know
people are asking about what drug test
panel do we need what specimen types do
we need so thank you Mr Riley for
jumping into the video series with us
and sharing your insights pleasure to be
here and answer questions about uh drug
test panels and and specimen types
absolutely and these are some of the
common questions that we get from
employer clients we do work with
employers all over the country and so
one of the the first questions we get
are what are the common drug testing
panels or the most common ones used in
drug free workplace programs these days
okay so the most common drug testing
panel which is also used for all do
regulated drug testing but also used for
non-regulated business is what we call
the five panel drug test and the five
panel drug test includes
marijuana cocaine
amphetamines pyodine or
PCP
and
opiates and when we talk about the
amphetamines it adds MDM MDA which is
ecstasy and it adds
methamphetamines when we talk about the
opioids we're talking about Codine
morphine
heroin
oxycodone
hydrocodone
oxymorphone Hydromorphone there's
actually a whole bunch of drugs there
you could count them up and you could
get to 12 and some people call it a 12
panel and some people call it a a seven
panel but the Laboratories that do the
drug testing and the do that regulates
the the specific panel for DOT companies
they call it a five panel so that's the
standard drug testing panel that we see
it's been around since drug testing
started back in the late 80s it has
expanded a little bit they didn't always
have heroin in there they didn't always
have methamphetamine in there they
didn't always have ecstasy in there and
they didn't always have the the
hydrocodones and the oxycodones and the
oxymoron and and the
Hydromorphone so that all happened those
those expanded opiates around
2018 about the time of the big pill Mill
situation and the
overprescribing of opioids throughout
the United States so for DOT you got to
use that do five panel
test for nonot most companies say well
what should I do you know they don't
know and we say well one option is to do
what do requires and to do your standard
five panel test your marijuana cocaine
amphetamines opiates and PCP en cycline
but you can go to what is commonly
called a 10 panel test okay so you're
adding benzo diazines barbit
methon
methadone and what's that last one
peroxy peroxy thank you Tom um so that's
a standard 10 panel now what's
interesting is the Laboratories you know
the five panel is they know what it is
and the the 10 panel they know what it
is but if you were to say to me Jo I
need a 12
panel I would have to say well Tom I
need to know the drugs you want I need
to know the 12 drugs you want cuz
there's not a standard 12 panel 11 panel
13 panel so let's say you wanted a 13
panel well yeah well we want a 13 panel
we want the 10 panel but we also want
Fentanyl and Meine and
tramadol okay but it's it's not called a
13 panel it's called a 10 panel plus
Meine and Tramadol and Fentanyl and
Fentanyl is becoming a popular drug to
test for because as We Know we got a big
fentanyl problem in this country right
now with fentanyl coming across the
border yeah and I and I think you had
some great points there that you know
for do testing you have you know the
very specific panels you can't test for
more you can't test for Less you test
for what the government tells you to
test for and then for those for those
non-regulated panels having different
things you know is it just an employer's
choice to do those different things or
are there sometimes they have like a
Union contract or a state law that may
affect you know what panel that uh that
they can test for yeah it could be any
of those it could be based on the
employer's Choice um maybe there's a
particular drug in their community that
people are using more of it could be
because of of a state program that
requires something for uh to get a state
incentive for implementing a drug-free
workplace we see in the medical industry
particularly hospitals they're going
with an expanded panel like over and
above the 10 panel they're adding those
fentanyls and meines and traod dools and
maybe other drugs because in a hospital
there's a whole closet full of drugs
that people may steal and use and
subvert so they may be using you know 17
different drugs so it really depends um
but again most often we see the five
panel right and I know there's just uh
you know those exceptions that come out
there that that we work CU you know we
work with customers all over the country
and you have some of those expanded
panels like the big chemical companies
that might do 32 panel you know or 32
drug tests and those kind of crazy
things but there's pretty much common
ones that most of the non-regulated
testing you know use that are that are
fairly common in there so besides that
the big thing these days is also with
specimen type so how do you do the drug
test because we know the panel we know
the drugs you're testing for you have
different reasons where you might test
for them are there restrictions on
certain specimen types or recommended
specimen types or you know tell me you
know how that actually applies
for the drug testing for employers yeah
specimen types is a good topic but I
just want to go back for for just uh a
few seconds is that uh in the non do
world the non-regulated
world sometimes people are doing a four
panel or a N9 panel they're dropping
marijuana from the panel and they can do
that if they elect to do that not for
DOT but they can do that in non doot so
specimen types so traditionally since
the late ' 80s when drug testing started
in businesses in the United States
urine has been the specimen okay for DOT
testing urine is currently the specimen
right now today as we speak we use urine
for a DOT test we use a breathalizer for
an alcohol test okay now going back to
do for just a few seconds here because
folks in the audience may have heard
that do allows oral fluid
now they do but it's not operational yet
at the the laboratory sometime next year
sometime in
2024 we will see the launching of oral
fluid testing for do now for non doot
non-regulated unless there's a state law
or state law
program urine is not the only game in
town okay oral fluid for non doot has
been around for 15 plus years basically
we're collecting oral fluid on a device
I call a sponge on a stick goes in the
mouth it comes out it goes in a tube it
gets shipped to the laboratory they do
initial testing just like they would on
a urine specimen they do confirmation
testing if it's positive and then those
results go to a medical review officer
for review and verification and
Reporting so you have oral fluid testing
so urine oral fluid and hair testing
hair testing's been around for a good 10
plus
years the major difference with hair
testing again it's non doot only hair
testing is detecting drugs from 7 days
out so it's not detecting drugs I did
yesterday right it's about 7 days out to
about 90 days out so if you want to find
out if your candidate used drugs last
month or the month before or the third
month back hair testing is an option
hair testing is more
expensive but it gives you that up to
90day look back Peri period both oral
fluid and hair testing are specimen
types where cheating is very difficult M
so let me ask this you know why would it
be uh you maybe easier to cheat a urine
drug screen or maybe ask a different way
you know why would it be more maybe
either I don't know if accurate would be
the right word or more reliable
potentially for using oral fluid because
that's kind of a big thing these days
can you share kind of you know why that
might be something that's going to be
kind of more toward the future
absolutely so
um first off on the cheating with with
collecting a urine speci the person goes
into a bathroom in in privacy so we
don't know what they got strapped onto
their body or hidden under their in
their boots or whatever with hair
testing and oral fluid testing the
collection is done right in front of the
person that's administering the testing
now we get the question all the time
what's more accurate urine oral fluid
hair even blood because you can't do
blood drug testing but it's not done
much because it's invasive you need a
FLOTUS and it's very expensive it's
about three times more than a urine drug
test okay but with oral fluid the main
difference with oral fluid it's
detecting very recent drug use like I
smoke it I smoked a joint this morning
on my way to work it's going to detect
it with urine it may take a day for that
THC to metabolize in my body with hair
it's going to take s days so with oral
fluid
might be more appropriate for a post
accident test or a reasonable suspicion
test because there's a shorter window of
detection starting a couple of hours
after drug use but only going back to
about two and a half
days with hair again we got the longer
window of detection going back to
approximately 90 days with urine we're
typically going back anywhere from 2 to
5 six days H So You Got Ur in testing
primarily you're here and anural fluid
all those coming out these days so I
know one of the questions we get from
employers all the time is which one do I
do or do I do a combination of these
things or does it depend on what I'm
trying to accomplish or you know does it
depend on the law you know what should I
choose yeah so it always depends on what
you're trying to accomplish okay but in
some cases it might be more appropriate
to to use a mixture of two specimen
types like oral fluid testing for
reasonable suspicion
and post accident and it's even more
convenient because it's an easy
collection that an employer can do
themselves rather than you have an
accident at 2:00 in the morning you're
not going to be able to get a urine drug
test done unless you call out a mobile
collector for three4
$500 okay um some companies just want to
stay with the traditional tried and true
urine testing it's been around for 30
plus years it holds up in court uh
there's a lot of case law oral fluid and
hair are newer there's not as much case
law but they hold up in court um we
actually have trucking companies in the
United States some of the very large
trucking companies that are required to
do dot testing they do their dot urine
test then they follow that up with a
hair test CU they don't want to hire a
guy and put him behind the wheel of a
45,000 PB rig and find out that he's
able to cheat on the urine test but he's
been using drugs all along and the hair
test will pick that up yeah so something
for the for instance for the hair
testing you know I would imagine that
you potentially with certain drugs you
could stop using for a short period of
time and oral fluid doesn't show up and
urine doesn't but then the hair is going
to get them absolutely yeah and so you
know one of the things that uh that you
mentioned with some of the the legal
things that that are going on so with
the changes in marijuana laws is that
actually going to change you know
obviously in some videos we' talked
about it changing drug testing but does
that affect the specimen type that you
might need to use depending on the
circumstance well it absolutely May when
it comes to marijuana so when we do a
urine test we will back up if if I use
drugs if I use marijuana I smoke it I
eat an edible
um that that substance is metabolizing
in my body and then getting into my
urine as a
metabolite okay so it's it's not really
THC it's the metabolite of THC now I'm
not a chemist but if you talk to a
chemist and somebody that knows body
chemistry they could tell you a lot more
but again it takes a day or so for that
metabolite to be in the urine okay well
with
marijuana in states where marijuana is
legal there're starting to pass laws
that say you can't penalize someone for
smoking pot on the
weekends and a urine test on a Monday or
a Tuesday will detect that someone
smoked pot on Friday or Saturday Sunday
now we don't know what day they did it
we just know it's in their system okay
oral fluid remember we said it can
detect like within a few hours and with
oral fluid it's not a
metabolite oral fluid is picking up the
parent drug that's embedded into your
saliva so oral fluid may be a better
specimen type for marijuana testing
there's also in development not not yet
available there are folks that are
trying to get a marijuana breathalizer
going okay now if they can get approvals
for that and they can get the the trials
and it it works and it's approved by the
FDA that's a multi-billion dollar idea
right there and and there are several
companies that are that are kind of
getting there but not yet there okay so
the options right now are check the
state laws where you're where you are
okay what are their restrictions what's
maybe some case law okay either test for
marijuana don't test for marijuana maybe
go to oral fluid for marijuana check the
state law again check the case law again
and my biggest advice to companies this
is kind of off topic a little bit is no
matter where you are if you have a
marijuana positive before you fire that
person have a conversation with HR and
Leadership right and with that
employee to determine what's going on
what's the state law what's the
situation yeah I I think that's great
Insight you know to to make sure that
they're actually prepared and you
mentioned you know a few things you know
early on about um changing Trends and
and changing laws that affected the the
panels like adding opioids back in 2018
and then with all the changes to
marijuana that's influence
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