Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get my drug test results?
Urine
— 24-48 hrs
Hair — 7 Days
What is an MRO?
An MRO is a licensed M.D. with a history
of substance abuse diagnostic work. According to DOT regulations, all DOT drug
screens must be reviewed by an MRO. Many states also require an MRO review, and
this service is available for non-DOT testing, if desired. During the MRO's
review, it may be necessary for him or her to speak directly with the donor to
verify any types of medication the donor has taken. The client will not be
notified if this occurs and will only be notified when a test result is
available.
In general, what are the drug detection periods for drugs and how
long after use can drug tests detect drug presence or use?
Drug of
abuse testing by blood, urine, saliva or any other method (except forensic hair
analysis) is designed only to detect whether or not a specific drug or drug
metabolite is present at the time the test is performed. While there are very
broad estimates as to how long a particular drug may have been in the system,
no drug test, regardless of method, is intended to include a time variable.
Many factors unique to the individual being tested determine the actual
half-life of the particular drug including such variables as age, weight, body
fat index, sex, metabolic rate, overall health and amount of drug consumed over
what period of time. Therefore no conclusions can be drawn as to when a
particular drug was taken or how much was consumed with any type of drug abuse
test. However, chronic use of high potency drugs by individuals with a high
body fat count, low metabolism rate (older) and in poor general health will
place drug clearance periods at a high range. To re-emphasize it should be
clearly understood that drug test are not intended to determine when drugs were
used, only whether the drug screened for is present at the time the test is
performed. If it’s desirable to screen for historical drug use, a hair
analysis test is available that will screen for illicit drug use up to 90 days
dependent on hair sample length.
Why is there a separate test for Oxycodone if Oxycodone is an
opiate?
Oxycodone (Percodan, Percocet, Roxicodone, Oxycontin) are
synthetically manufactured opiates meaning they are not directly from the opium
poppy resin source. While the chemical chains are similar, detection of
synthetic opiate drugs require a lower sensitivity detection level than that
established for non synthetic opiates.
My teenager tests positive for THC but claims exposure to
“second hand smoke”. Is this possible?
No. Urine
concentrations of THC above the cutoff sensitivity level of the test, or a
positive result, are not possible by exposure to second hand smoke.
DNA/Paternity Testing
How are Samples Collected?
A sterile swab, very similar
to a q-tip, is rubbed on the inside of the cheek from the child and the alleged
father.
Is a Blood Sample required?
NO. Paternity testing can be
performed using a buccal (cheek) swab. It is completely non-invasive, painless
and convenient.
Are you collecting saliva for analysis when a buccal swab is
done?
NO. While saliva is collected on the swab, it is actually the
epithelial (cheek) cells that are being collected for analysis.
Is the cheek/buccal swab accurate?
YES. Because DNA is
the same in every cell in your body, analysis performed on cheek cells is just
as accurate as analysis performed on blood.
Can the Paternity Test be performed without the mother?
YES. You can obtain accurate results without testing the mother.
How old must a child be to perform DNA Testing?
There are
no age restrictions. DNA testing can be performed on individuals of any age.
How do you handle the confidentiality of each
test?
Information of any kind regarding your test will only be
available to the individual’s tested or other designated representative(s)
(i.e. Attorneys) when a written authorization is provided.