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Oral Drug & Alcohol Testing

Oral fluid toxicology tests analyze saliva for both active and trace amounts of drugs and alcohol. Compared to urine analysis, this type of drug test is less invasive and easier to collect, without the need for close supervision or hair follicle or blood tests.

These tests are utilized by medical professionals, military recruiters, and are the preferred method for drug and alcohol testing by the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), as well as numerous private companies aiming to enhance employee safety and promote a positive work environment.

The increasing government guidelines for saliva or oral fluid tests are making them more prevalent, which is advantageous since they are more cost-effective than urine tests.

Benefit from easy, quick and supervised saliva only sample collection.

Gentech Diagnostics delivers laboratory-grade saliva specimen testing and collection. Laboratory-based saliva substance testing offers an accessible approach to drug screening samples in a wide range of settings. The collection of saliva samples is conducted under observation, reducing the chance of tampering. 

The individual being tested opens a pre-packaged collection device, places it in their mouth, and the collector will then handle the sample for delivery to our lab.

Key Alcohol Metabolites in Our Test:

  • Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG): A direct metabolite of alcohol, EtG remains in the urine significantly longer than alcohol itself.
  • Ethyl Sulfate (EtS): An additional metabolite indicative of alcohol intake that provides corroborative evidence when detected alongside EtG.

Clinical Utility of Our EtG and EtS Measurements:

  • The dual measurement gives a robust indication of recent alcohol ingestion, ideal for alcohol abstinence and monitoring programs, legal cases, and personal reasons.

Oral Fluid Drug and Alcohol Testing

Recently endorsed by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for federal employment substance screening programs, saliva is a newly validated test. Drugs and their metabolites make their way into saliva from the bloodstream, typically appearing as the original drug compound, inside the body in real time during the time the test is taken.

Specialized devices are used for collecting saliva, which include buffers to maintain the sample's stability during transport to the lab. 

We start with immunoassay tests, and for confirmation, we use traditional test methods.

Our saliva drug screening menu covers a wide array of substances, including:

  • Amp
  • Meth
  • Cocaine COC BZE
  • Opioids
  • Codeine
  • Morphine
  • hydroCodine
  • HydroMorphone
  • oxyCodine
  • oxyMorphone
  • 6mam (heroin)
  • PCP
  • THC
  • Fentanyl
  • Xylazine (X)

Typically, test outcomes for samples that show no trace of substances are ready within 24-36 hours after the lab receives them. 

If presumptive positive results need confirmatory testing, those confirmed results are generally available within an additional 24 hours. 

Saliva screening is versatile, fitting for pre-employment, post-incident, and reasonable suspicion scenarios and can be a less stressful alternative to workplace urine tests. 

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Advantages

  • non-invasive
  • can be done onsite
  • has instant component available
  • instant saliva tests require minimal training to operate
  • only positive instant testing results need to be forwarded to a laboratory for more expensive confirmation
  • does not require same-sex collection
  • can be easily observed without having to procure facilities (can be performed anywhere, even at the spot where an incident occurred)
  • can detect drugs immediately after usage
  • essentially impossible to cheat
  • more cost effective than urine testing

Disadvantages

  • can only detect drug use for a day or two after usage but metabolites are also tested.
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