Drug tests are now a very common procedure in the workplace and judicial system. Judges and employers now recognize the accuracy that modern drug testing provides. There are a number of different drug testing methods available. Urine test are the most common drug test and can detect multiple drugs that may have been consumed. Hair drug tests, saliva drug tests are next as most common drug tests. Listed below are some terms used that anyone being drug tested should know:
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Adulterated specimen: A specimen that contains a substance that is not expected to be present in human urine, or contains a substance so high that it is not consistent with human urine.
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Breath Alcohol Technician (BAT) and/or Screening Test Technician (STT) – this person is the collector in the alcohol testing process and operates an evidential breath testing device (breathalyzer).
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Creatine: A white crystalline substance found in the muscles and helps to supply energy to all cells in the body. All urine test check for creatine levels to authenticate the sample as humane urine.
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Cutoff Level (Threshold): The defined concentration of a substance in a specimen at or above which the test is called positive and below which it is called negative. For example, the cut off level for THC is 50 pg (picogram) per mg (milligram), but detection at or above 50 pg/mg is a positive test result.
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Dilute specimen. A specimen with creatine and specific gravity values that is lower than expected for human urine. Common causes are drinking too much water or directly adding water or other substances to a urine sample.
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Medical Review Officer (MRO) – the MRO is a licensed physician who is responsible for receiving and reviewing laboratory results generated by an employer’s drug testing program and evaluating medical explanations for certain drug test results. Many TPA’s have in-house MROs working for them.
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Metabolite – A compound produced from the chemical changes of a drug in the body. Cannabis’ primary metabolite is THC-COOH. Metabolites store themselves in the bodies fat cells and can remain detectable long after to drug has run through the body.
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Milligram – The milligram is equal to one thousandth of gram.
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pH. The pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline (basic) the urine is. A urine pH of 4 is strongly acidic, 7 is neutral (neither acidic nor alkaline), and 9 is strongly alkaline. Sometimes the pH of urine is affected by certain treatments. For example, your doctor may instruct you how to keep your urine either acidic or alkaline to prevent some types of kidney stones from forming.
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Picogram – The picogram is equal to one trillionth of a gram, about the weight of a complex molecule such as the THC metabolite.
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Specific gravity. When you drink a lot of fluid, your kidneys make urine with a high amount of water in it which has a low specific gravity. When you do not drink fluids, your kidneys make urine with a small amount of water in it which has a high specific gravity.
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Specimen Collectors - also known as the collector. These people are responsible for collecting biological specimens, such as urine, hair, blood, sweat, or saliva. They work to ensure proper collection of the required drug testing samples.
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Third Party Administrators (TPAs) – they are the service providers that offer two or more of the services involved in the drug testing process. Many of the test facilities such as Quest Diagnostics or LabCorp are TPAs.