With drug testing becoming increasingly more commonplace in many workplaces and other settings, the quality, accuracy and reliability of drug test kits are essential to detect the presence of illicit drugs within test subjects.
A reliable and accurate drug test kit is essential for employers, law enforcement agencies, and healthcare professionals to maintain safer work environments or make educated decisions depending on their field of work.
Here, we’ll explore the different drug tests available, the two main types of drug tests utilised by most organisations and employers, the different drugs they detect, their benefits, limitations, and more.
Types of drug test kits
Four main types of drug tests are used to detect the presence of illicit drugs and their metabolites within the test subject’s system. They are:
Urine drug tests
Among the two most common drug testing methods, urine drug tests are often administered in workplaces and also by law enforcement agencies. They are known to be highly accurate, relatively inexpensive, and easy to administer.
Saliva/oral drug tests
The second of the two most common drug testing methods, saliva drug tests are usually used for more recent drug use within the past 48 hours. They are non-invasive and less susceptible to cheating than urine tests because the samples are collected under supervision. However, they are not as sensitive as urine drug tests.
Hair drug tests
Also known as hair follicle drug tests, this testing method is commonly used during forensic investigations and involves screening a test subject’s strand of hair to detect any traces of drug metabolites. This method usually provides a longer drug detection window than other drug tests meaning that the samples may contain traces of drugs for as long as 90 days after the last use. External contamination and certain hair treatments can affect the accuracy of the test results
Blood drug tests
The most invasive and arguably most accurate method of drug testing for recent drug abuse. Commonly used by law enforcement as a confirmatory test after an incident. Although very accurate, it’s impractical to employ blood tests at the workplace as it is more difficult, expensive and invasive than the other testing methods.
Andatech drug test kits consist of urine and oral kits that accurately detect up to 11 different kinds of drugs plus alcohol.
Andatech urine drug test kits
Urine drug test kits from Andatech are tamper-proof and provide results of up to 11 different drugs plus alcohol in as fast as 5 minutes, making it the smart choice for employers to use at their workplace.
The Andatech DrugSense DSU11 detects the 11 drugs below.
|
Drug groups |
Cut-off levels |
|
Amphetamines (AMP) |
300ng/ml |
|
Cocaine (COC) |
300ng/ml |
|
Synthetic marijuana (K2) |
50ng/ml |
|
Benzodiazepine (BZO) |
200ng/ml |
|
Methamphetamine (METH) |
300ng/ml |
|
Opiates (OPI) |
300ng/ml |
|
Marijuana (THC) |
50ng/ml |
|
Oxycodone (OXY) |
100ng/ml |
|
Methadone (MTD) |
300ng/ml |
|
Ketamine (KET) |
1000ng/ml |
|
Barbiturates (BAR) |
300ng/ml |
|
Alcohol |
.04%BAC |
Andatech saliva drug test kits
The less invasive saliva drug test kits from Andatech are easy-to-use and can detect up to eight major drug groups and alcohol through a single test. Once a saliva sample has been extracted and placed in the testing device, results can be seen as quickly as 10 minutes.
|
Drug groups |
Cut-off levels |
|
Amphetamines (AMP) |
50ng/ml |
|
Cocaine (COC) |
50ng/ml |
|
Synthetic marijuana (K2) |
25ng/ml |
|
Benzodiazepine (BZO) |
50ng/ml |
|
Oxycodone (OXY) |
40ng/ml |
|
Methamphetamine (METH) |
50ng/ml |
|
Opiates (OPI) |
50ng/ml |
|
Marijuana (THC) |
15ng/ml |
|
Alcohol |
.02%BAC |
Both Andatech saliva and urine drug test kits comply with cut-off levels specified by Australian and New Zealand Standard 4308:2008.
Do also keep in mind each drug's different drug detection windows and for how long they will be visible through each test.
After testing
After testing has been concluded and results have been recorded, employees or test subjects have a right to dispute the results as there may be external interferences with drug tests, including that of prescription medication such as antidepressants that contain sertraline which some drug test kits may mistake for benzodiazepine.
Some common triggers of false positive drug tests include
- Prescribed medication
- CBD oil
- Coca tea
- Mouthwash
- Foods containing poppy seeds
- Secondhand marijuana smoke
If a test subject is to dispute a drug test result, a confirmatory drug test will need to be administered. These are often conducted in NATA accredited pathology labs, with results typically released in 1-2 days.
Browse our catalogue of Andatech drug test kits suitable for workplace and personal use to get accurate results on recent drug use. For more extensive drug testing at your workplace, contact us for professional on-site testing by accredited professionals.
Do your part to keep Australian workplaces safe from drugs and alcohol.
