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Selecting A Urine Drug Test
Although all urine drug test kits will be slightly different, there are three distinct different types. The two kinds of tests include cup and dip tests, so named because of how the urine is tested to determine the presence or absence of specific types of drugs. A cassette urine drug test requires the tester to place a few drops of urine into a cassette or plastic form which then reads the test and provides the results in a window of the cassette. As with any type of test a urine drug test only checks for specific types or groups of drugs, not for all possible drugs. Knowing what type of drug is suspected or using a multi-panel rather than a single drug test is the most effective way to use these tests. In general most businesses or companies testing for drugs will use a multi-panel, multi-drug test to give the most comprehensive results at a lower price than doing a separate test for each possible drug.
When selecting a urine drug test it is critical to look for a test that has adulteration test features. Adulteration is the process of modifying or tampering with a urine sample to be used in a test. Testing for adulteration of the test sample checks the pH of the sample as well as the specific gravity and oxidants/PCC presence. Abnormal pH or specific gravity can be a result of diluting the urine sample or adding some other liquid to the sample. Oxidants/PCC test for the presence of bleach or hydrogen peroxide, or the presence of the compound Pyridinium Chlorocromate (PCC), which is often taken to attempt to give false negatives on drug tests. It is important to note that testing for PCC, oxidants, nitrites and other compounds designed to "trick" a drug test is just as important as the test itself. Urine drug test kits that test of adulteration will clearly indicate if the urine sample has been tampered with prior to testing.
In addition most urine test kits will indicate that they are CLIA waived. CLIA waived actually refers to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, which is a set of federal lab testing regulations now in use since 1988. This is a term used to indicate that the test have been approved by the FDA, the US Food And Drug Administration, and have passed all requirements for accuracy of the kit regardless of who administers the kit or where the test is administered. In other words these kits are accurate and don't need specialized medical or professional training to administer and interpret. A CLIA waived test is easy to use, easy to read and guaranteed to be accurate as long as the simple to follow instructions are completed as per the directions.
Cassette, cup and dip urine tests should be CLIA waived to ensure accuracy and provide accurate reading should there by any positive findings. All three urine test kits on the market generally test for the most commonly used drugs including cocaine, marijuana, PCP, opiates, amphetamines and methamphetamines. Some others may also test for benzodiazepines. methadone and barbiturates. Each urine drug test kit will list what drugs it test for, with a specific reading or panel for each drug indicated.
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