Urine has always been the standard method for performing drug tests in the workplace for years. The urine drug test provides high reliability and accuracy. It is convenient to collect and process. There are several strategies people employ to thwart a urine drug test. These include dilution, detox solutions, or using clean urine that is smuggled into the testing location on their person. Because of this, employers have found an oral solution (saliva) to be an appealing alternative. It allows them to mitigate the risk of having employees on staff, or hiring new employees, who may have successfully altered their urine samples. 

Drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace may have major ramifications. These include increased risk of accidents and injuries, chronic employee absenteeism, and decreased productivity.  Whether employees actively use drugs during working hours or experience the after-effects of substance abuse, your company may experience a negative impact. 

Oral Fluid Drug Test

Companies that want to prioritize safety in the workplace and create a positive working environment for their employees are implementing comprehensive drug testing programs. These consist of writing drug testing policies, providing employee education, and conducting drug tests. In light of employee’s increased attempts to alter urine testing results, companies also need to consider what specimen they want to test and the methodology they want to use to collect the sample. 

In urine testing, the individual has a certain level of privacy to leave the sample. Unlike in urine testing, in oral fluid drug testing employees are supervised, from start to finish. When an oral fluid drug test happens, subjects will find it extremely difficult to alter the results. Because of this, employers are choosing this method of workplace drug testing. 

The reliability and accuracy of urine and oral solution drug tests, from a laboratory standpoint, are very similar. Both can detect most drugs for up to 1-4 days after use. However, there are some major advantages to an oral fluid drug test when it comes to time sensitivity and impairment level. While urine tests can identify drug use quickly, the turnaround begins at about 24 hours. Oral tests can identify the presence of a drug within just a couple of hours after it’s been used. Also, urine tests measure by-product drug compounds. This means the test will return a positive result for drugs but won’t supply a current impairment level. Oral solution tests measure the parent compound (psychoactive element). The parent compound is always present in an individual’s blood and saliva. Thus, oral fluid tests have the capacity to measure the impairment level at the time of the administration. 

Drug Testing

Alcohol and drug abuse are serious issues that companies of any size face daily. Drug testing employees utilizing a comprehensive program through Soteria Screening will help minimize faulty hires and reduce liabilities for the company and its employees. We offer a myriad of drug testing methodologies for your company, including oral fluid drug testing. 

At Soteria Screening Laboratories it is our mission to provide personalized, effective, and efficient drug and alcohol testing and compliance programs nationwide for companies and for individuals. Soteria Screening works with three laboratories, instead of one, to help expand the network of facilities able to provide our variety of services. High-quality, time-efficient drug testing at the workplace is our specialty.