Forensic Saliva Drug Tests or Oral Fluid Drug Tests

Saliva or Oral Fluid is gaining popularity as the test media of choice due to it’s 1:1 ratio of blood drug concentrations. This is possible for saliva is termed as a refined version of plasma that has the capability to bear trace amounts of drugs and their resulting metabolites that can be easily tested through immunoassaying. Results can be obtainable in as little as 5 to 15 minutes allowing fast results and thus interpretation.Saliva or Oral Fluid drug testing kitscome in many forms and shapes, the most common come in kits that the individual being tested places in the mouth and saliva is obtained through a membrane that allows it to wet strips of media with indicator antigen-dye’s. Positive results would show color bands for each of the specific drugs in question. They are convenient and mostly used as pre-employment drug testing which allows no-fuss and immediate results. Adulteration is very hard if not totally impossible and come in multi-drug or drug specific test kits and is more un-invasive than other methods of drug testing.

Products from Medimpex United Inc.Like Multi Screen Saliva drug Test screen 5 are convenient and low-cost allowing pre-employment screening in a short period as opposed to laboratory testing that consumes time and resources. It can detect the “Golden Rule” drugs that are also called NIDA-5 or the five substances that are covered by mandatory screening for both federal and private corporations. These substances are Opiates/Morphine, Cannabinoids (marijuana), Cocaine (crack), Methamphetamine and Phencyclidines. Being low cost (under $12.00) it is perfect for use in immediate cases where testing is required such as accident investigation where the effects of drugs are suspected to be the cause, pre-employment, and employee monitoring.

Another product,Saliva Multi Drug Screen Test kit is an expanded version of the first one and is capable of detecting 6 drugs that uses one step chromatograph immunoassaying that can detect Amphetamines, Opiates, Phencyclidine, THC, Methamphetamine, Cocaine and other metabolites or drug by-products in saliva. It is also affordable and has a low footprint making disposal easier as opposed to urine test kits which tend to be bulkier and tend to be more delicate to deal with.

OraLert,another of their products is also capable of detecting Amphetamines, Opiates, Phencyclidine, THC, Methamphetamine, Cocaine and other metabolites or drug by-products in saliva with lower sensitivity to THC the active ingredient of Marijuana. Being the most abused drug in America accounting for 30% of total drugs abused in the country making it a necessary choice in testing for THC. Being priced higher at $13.50 it is still quite cheap compared with other competing products on the market.

They also carry Oral Fluid 6 Multi Drug Screen Test kits for laboratory examination on samples that produce non-negative results. They include instructions on how to handle and send the sample to a laboratory for further analysis. A test cap that is secured with a provided security seal and a chain of custody form that is essential for total accountability of the test sample as it is sent for testing. They are all then inserted into a padded mailer bag that is then sent to the laboratory for further screening more detailed metabolite identification.

The last test kit is similar to the second kit that can detect Amphetamines, Opiates, Phencyclidine, THC, Methamphetamine, Cocaine and other metabolites. Pricing starts at almost $13.00 which when ordered in bulk, has the price dropping by increments. Saliva drug testing has benefits of on-site collection within plain view of the subject. There is minimal risk of adulteration, totally non-invasive and samples can be collected anywhere(the field, office, etc.)

Compared with most products on-line which are priced higher at $15.00 or more for the rapid test types the products mentioned above are quite similar and even better than some. Disadvantages include less sensitivity to marijuana and that being part of the body’s metabolism mechanism, drugs don’t stay in the system for long with only a 10 to 24 hour effective sampling time. Unlike hair drug tests which can produce historical information not only with they types of drugs but the quantity and frequency as well. For hair as it grows at a predictable rate metabolites become trapped within the follicles allowing accurate detection.

The drugs are then expelled by the body through urine with minute residue or metabolites to give an accurate reading. Several measures to defeat the tests have been observed such as eating foods that would alter the production of saliva and smoking which tends to mask the needed metabolites for detection. In these cases, urine is used for testing which tends to be more plentiful and copious quantities can be obtained through induced bladder excretion. Other specialist test kits are available for detecting Marijuana which tends to be weak in multi-panel test kits. But the cost for testing for a single substance rather than multiple-testing would be detrimental but could be essential and unavoidable. Although gaining popularity within the private sector, these types of tests are not generally accepted as a valid test tool for urine is their media of choice. With urine,mostly dip type multi panel test kits are used which tend to cost a lot more than saliva test kits we have mentioned above.

Federal Drug testing is more rigorous and tends to be more tedious but private sector companies should be aware that although unregulated they are still covered by laws concerning privacy and discrimination issues. These tests cannot be demanded without probable cause and can be banned altogether by unions who target these detection measures in their Collective Bargaining Agreements. The Mandatory clause is for federal agencies only and does not cover companies that are not under government management. Companies are also to follow rules that apply to these tests as listed under the Department of Labor’s codes. If used in the home, training might be required by law for application in the school environment, though non-invasive consent is required for those below 18 years of age. And the proper representatives are required along with the necessary confidentiality policies.