FAQ: Drug Screening Kits

Due to the increased usage of drug screening and testing, drug screening kits are becoming prevalent everywhere. Also, the rapid drug screening kit has made the usage of drug testing kits more popular, both at large institutions and small places like small businesses and schools.

Classification of drug screening kits

Drug testing kits can be classified according to different criteria, such as federally regulated or non-federally regulated test, types of specimen being tested, number and types of drugs to be tested, types of testing method according to the kits, etc. Some of the drug screening devices are classified below, with respect to types of specimen to test, with examples of forms of drug testing kits available in each form.

-          Urine drug screening kits: This is the most common form of test being performed widely. In this the urine sample is collected from the sample to analyze the drug traces. There are three forms of drug screening kits available here: dip form, cassette form and cup form. In dip tests, the device is dipped into the sample to test the drug. In cassette form, the sample is collected in a cup and then transferred to device using pipette. In cup form, which is more advanced, the sample is collected and simultaneously screened for drugs in a cup.

-          Saliva drug screening kits: While there are disadvantages of privacy invasion and chances of adulteration in urine drug screening, saliva as a sample for drug testing offers convenience in both cases. However, the drug being tested can be detected, only if they were taken more recently. All the forms of urine drug testing kits are used for a rapid drug screening, here.

-          Hair drug screening kits: Hair samples are the most reliable sample for drug screening kits, as the test can reveal the consumption of drugs even ninety days prior. The specimen can be hairs from several parts of the human body. This is also very difficult to adulterate. The problem is that it is very hard to do a rapid drug screen for this sample. There are many drug varieties that can be tested through hair drug testing.

-          Spray drug screening kits: These drug kits are not much in use; however they are very good as they prevent manipulation or adulteration. However, the number of drugs that can be screened through this process is very less.

Common rapid drug screening kits

There are many popular rapid drug testing kits available in market that are very easy to handle, portable, convenient, provide quick results with an affordable price. Some of the common kits are described below:

-          Oral fluids testing strips can test multiple numbers of drugs and can give results in around 15 minutes. Mostly, they have built-in procedural controls and easy to handle with screening facilities for most common drugs.

-          Multi-drug testing dip stick kits are available for urine testing with tamper proof seals and fast result analysis (around 5 minutes). They are also very cost effective.

-          Integrated drug screening devices with specimen collecting cups are also available. The cup is generally provided to prevent tampering. It has a tamper proof seal, id label and easy to transport. It can test around a dozen drug types.

-          Cup form of drug testing kits are available, where the cup is used for both specimen collection and testing, simultaneously. It comes with a tamper proof seal, temperature sensor, id label, slotted lid, etc… Handling is easy with the help from web-based training and certification procedures for this method.

-          A personal computer assisted reading device, with a peripheral drug screening kit, attached through USB cable, can also be used to trace drugs. It can be used for computer analysis and reading or printing reports through a computer.