subject: Drug testing on the spot or in the lab [print this page] Drug testing takes place in two different ways - point of care testing or laboratory testing.
The latter is the most common method for most commercial or routine drug testing, as laboratory testing has little to no set-up time or costs as it makes use of an existing facility. It also allows for much faster processing of samples for mass screening for drug abuse, such as during employee screening, as well as access to the widest range of testing methods and toxicology reports.
Point of care testing on the other hand offers less extensive options and is only really suitable for individual testing but has the advantage of a quick turnaround. This kind of testing is carried out immediately after a sample is provided by an individual and can take place beside or near them. All point of care testing is conducted via portable kits that range in size and capability - it could either be something as tiny as a breathalyser device or a more complex urine or oral fluid testing kit.
Whilst a laboratory set up can test any kind of sample for any substance, point of care testing is a little more limited. Hair samples for example may give the best indication of drug or substance abuse over more extended periods of time but they cannot be tested on the spot.
Still, the ability to detect substance abuse within minutes or even seconds of taking a sample can be incredibly useful. In particular, this type of testing is a powerful tool for law enforcement agencies as well as for employers looking to find evidence of employees working under the influence.
The speed of point of care testing means that a quick quideline screen' can be obtained as to whether or not someone has taken drugs or alcohol recently and thereby rendered themselves negligent for tasks such as driving or operating heavy machinery. Conversely, the nature of lab testing means that it will typically take a couple of days (up to a week for hair samples) to ascertain the results of a screened and confirmed test, able to stand up to legal challenges if required.
Police and law enforcement agencies are above and beyond the most common users of point of care tests. Aside from the commonly used breathalyser kit, some police forces also use more sophisticated drug testing kits which can often screen for drugs including amphetamines, methadone, cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and heroin. Beyond the kits aimed at identifying drug use, some kits are aimed at identifying drugs themselves - clarifying whether solids such as powders or liquid solutions suspected of being drugs are the real thing.
