This question is often asked when Someone provides a sample to the lab and they already know they will come up negative for drug use, but the test comes back with a positive result. How is that even possible you may ask, well the truth is a bit upsetting. But sadly, there is such a thing as a False Positive. When a positive result is achieved, despite the sample tested being actually negative for any drug metabolites.

Now the chances that you would get a false positive result on a test aren’t as high as you might think, and a lot of factors need to be taken into account when being tested before you can challenge the results as being false. For one thing, the quality of the actual laboratory that is doing your drug test needs to be considered first and foremost. There are currently hundreds of labs all across the United States that perform drug tests on their clients, but unfortunately it is less than 100 of these current labs that actually meet all of the federal standards they need to. There are also currently some states that do not have any regulations on the standards and practices of drug testing facilities at all. In a good lab the chance a false positive result would occur is usually only around 4% of the time. In a lab where they’re not careful and up to standards the percentage is much higher, sometimes even over 50% in a few cases.