Drug How soon after taking drug will there How long after taking drug will there

be a positive drug test? continue to be a positive drug test?

Marijuana/ Pot 1-3 hours 1-7 days
Crack (Cocaine) 2-6 hours 2-3 days
Heroin (Opiates) 2-6 hours 1-3 days
Speed/ Upper 4-6 hours 2-3 days
(Amphetamine,
Methamphetamine)
Angel Dust/ PCP 4-6 hours 2-3 days
Ecstacy 2-7 hours 2-4 days
Benzodiazepine 2-7 hours 1-4 days
Barbituates 2-4 hours 1-3 weeks
Methadone 3-8 hours 1-3 days
Tricyclic 8-12 hours 2-7 days
Antidepressants
Oxycodone 1-3 hours 1-2 days

What is this test

- This test screens for the presence of drugs of abuse in urine.
- Drugs that may be detected using a drugs of abuse screening test may include marijuana, cocaine,
morphine, codeine, phencyclidine, amphetamine and methamphetamine

When and how often should have this test?

- Timing of tests may be based on increased and decreased levels of medications, drugs or other
substances in the body

How should get ready for test?

- To prepare for giving urine sample, be sure to drink enough fluids before the test, unless have been
given other instructions
- Try not to empty bladder before the test

What are normal results for this test?

- Laboratory test results may vary depending on age, gender, health history, the method used for the
test and many other factors
- The following is considered to be a normal result for this test:
 Adults & children: (-)

Urine analysis is primarily used because of its low cost

- Most common testing methods used: ENZYME MULTIPLIED IMMUNE TEST
- Urine drug testing is an immunoassay based on the principle of competitive binding:
 Drugs which may be present in the urine specimen compete against their respective drug
conjugate for binding sites on their specific antibody
- Urine drugs tests screen the urine for the presence of a parent drug or its metabolites
- Level of drugs or it metabolites is not predictive of when the drug was taken or how much the patient
used
- Complaints have been made about the relatively high rates of false positives using this test
Monotes/ Multidrugs Abuse Multi 6
(AMP, THC, MOP, COC, MET, BZO)

1. Amphetamine
 Group sympathomimetic agent, some times use for medication (e.g. Dexedrine)
 Half live in the body: 4-24 hours, 30% are excreted in the urine
 Generally be detected for 3-6 days after exposure
2. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)
 Primary active ingredient in cannabis (marijuana)
 Elevated levels in urine within hours and remain detectable 3-10 days
3. MOP (opiate, Mor)
 Derivied from opium poppy including the natural products morphine, codeine and the semi
synthethic drugs such as heroin
 Detectable in urine: Several days
4. COC/ Cocaine
 Detected for 24-48 hours after cocaine exposure
5. Metamphetamine
 Detected for 3-6 days after exposure
6. BZO/ Benzodiazepines
 Detection periods for benzodiazepine in urine is 2-7 days

How soon after a person takes drugs, will they show up in a drug test?
And how long after a person takes drugs, will they continue to show up in a drug test?
- Drug clearance rate tells how soon a person may have a (+) test after taking a particular drug
- It also tells how long the person may continue to test (+) after the last time he or she took the drug
- These are only guidelines, however and the times can vary significantly from these estimates based on
how long the person has been taking the drug, the amount of the drug they use, of the person’s
metabolism

When To Get Tested?

1. Required prior to start of a new job or insurance policy
2. Randomly for work place drug testing or athletic drug testing programs
3. As mandated when court-ordered
4. Ordered by a health practitioner
 Monitor a known or suspected substance abuse patient
 Sometimes for pregnant
 Will be receiving an organ transplant
 When prescribed pain medication
 When have symptoms suggesting drug intoxication or overdose

Drug abuse testing may be used for:

- Medical screening
- Legal or forensic information
- Employment drug testing
- Sports/ athletics testing
- Monitoring pain medication use

Another test for drug abuse

Breath test
- Widespread method for quickly determining alcohol intoxication
- Measures the alcohol concentration in the body by a deep-lung breath
Hair Testing
- Majority of hair follicle drug tests screen for drugs which have been used in the past week to three
months
Saliva drug screen/ Oral fluid-based drug screen
- Saliva/ oral fluid-based drug test can generally detect use during the previous few days
- Is better at detecting very recent use of substance
- THC may only be detectable for 2-24 hours in most cases
- Alcohol: 6-12 h
- Marijuana: 1-24 h
Sweat drug screen
- These are used by child protective services, parole departments, and other government institutions
concerned with drug use over long periods, when urine testing is not practical
Blood
- Types of tests are considered to be the most accurate way of telling if a person is intoxicated
- Blood drug tests are not used very often because they need specialized equipment and medically
trained administrators