A prime drug test is simply evaluating blood, urine, or another kind of biological sample to determine if the individual has been using the drug(s) in question. Several drugs are often tested for and they include; Marijuana, Phencyclidine (PCP), Barbiturates, Steroids, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Opioids, etc.
Procedures
A drug test requires that you tender a urine sample in the laboratory. Instructions will be given to you to provide a “clean-catch” sample. This method entails the following steps:
- Clean your hands thoroughly with soap and water
- Wash off your genital area by using a cleansing pad provided to you by the health personnel
- Start urinating into the toilet
- Pass the collection container to your urine stream
- Collect around 1-2 ounce of urine and pass it to the container, which should have its measurements to indicate the amounts
- Endeavor to return the sample container to the health care personnel or lab technician
In certain situations, a staff member or a medical technician may need to be available to collect your sample. When testing for drugs in the blood, you will have to visit the lab to provide your sample. In the process of taking the test, a health care expert will use a small needle to extract the blood from a vein in your arm.
After the insertion of the needle, the blood will be transferred into a vial or test tube. You may feel a small pain when the needle is inserted into the body.
What do we use the test for?
As the name implies, drug screening is used to discover whether or not the drug sample can be found in the person’s body system or not. The drug screening may be used for:
- Employment: There is every chance that employers may test you before hiring you or after they hire you for the on-the-job drug use.
- Forensic purposes: Testing is carried out to know the status of an automobile accident or criminal investigation. Also, drug screening is carried out as part of a court case.
- Monitoring opioid use: If an opioid was prescribed for your chronic pain, your health care professional may order a drug test to ensure you are taking the correct dose of your medicine
- Sports organizations: Collegiate and professional athletes are required to take a test for substances or performance-enhancing drugs.
Why should I take a drug test?
There is a possibility that you will take a drug test subject to your confirmation for employment to partake in organized sports, or as part of a court case or police investigation. You might be directed by your health care personnel to opt for drug screening if you are not sure of your status.
These symptoms are: Panic, Agitation, Delirium, Paranoia, Nausea, Difficulty breathing, dilated pupils, slurred speech, changes in heart rhythm, etc.
What am I supposed to do to prepare for the test?
Make sure that you inform the health care professional or testing provider if you are using any supplements or over-the-counter drugs as they may give you a positive result for specific proscribed drugs. Also, ensure that you avoid foods with poppy seeds, which may influence the result thereby making you test for opioids.
What are the risks involved?
There haven’t been any proven risks to having a drug test, but the fact is that a positive result will hurt every aspect of your life and this includes the outcome of a court case, your eligibility to participate in sports, and your job.
Before carrying out the drug test, you should be cognizant of some factors such as; why are you being tested, how the results will be utilized, etc. If you have concerns or questions about your test, contact the organization or person that ordered the test or speak directly to your health care provider.
Recommended: Does Prime Trucking Hire Felons?
What do the results illustrate?
If you get a negative result, this means that your body system is free from any drug with no sample detected, or might imply that the level of the samples is undetected, which differs based on the potency of the drug. However, if you get a conflicting result, it implies that the drug samples are still present in the body system and it can be spotted.
However, this doesn’t mean that false positives do not happen. For instance, if your first test establishes the fact that there are drugs in your system, you will have to undergo further testing to know whether or not you took the drug.
Does Prime Drug Test in [year]?
Is there any other information I need to know about a prime drug test?
If your test result comes out positive for a legal drug authorized by your doctor, there is no way your employer will penalize you, unless the drug is interfering with your job performance. For instance, if your test comes out positive for marijuana and lives in an area where it hasn’t been authorized, employers may find reasons to penalize you.
This is because the majority of these employers always like to ensure that their workplace is drug-free. Also, this marijuana hasn’t been authorized under federal law.
What is the length of time that drug samples remain detected in the body?
Many variables may influence the amount of time that a drug may remain detectable in the biological sample or urine and this includes; route of administration, the drug’s half-life, cut-off concentration utilized by the testing lab for the detection of the drug, the fluid balance, and state of hydration of the individual, etc. General guidelines are required for the detection periods.
The majority of the drugs stay in the system from 2-4 days, although the persistent use of marijuana can remain in the system for up to a month or even for a longer period after last use. Diazepam, normally described as drugs with a long half-life, may also live in your system for an extended period.
What is the duration it takes to get back the drug test results?
When it comes to testing for drugs in the workplace, you get back the results within a short time. An employer may also use a rapid test that can give out the results before the end of that day. Same also applies in other cases, maybe for sporting events whereby the organizers test the participants both before and after the games to ensure that they adhere to the organization’s drug policy.
Conclusion
Prime tests are often used in various areas and for various purposes, especially for analyzing the health status of individuals, forensic studies, employment, and sports games. This test is carried out to check the possible presence of drugs in a person’s body system.
The expected results of Prime tests are either positive or negative. A positive result shows the presence of drugs in a person’s system, whereas a negative result reveals the absence or insignificant level of drugs in a person’s system.
Read Also: Does Walmart Drug Test?.
