Home Drug Testing: Important Things
to Know When Using an At-home Drug Test Kit
Sometimes recovering addicts want to prove
to their family or friends that they are not using drugs.
Many turn to at-home drug testing kits, which are easy
to use and provide immediate information. Proving that you
are clean is a very important issue and you want to make sure
your drug test provides accurate results. Here are some tips
to help you make the best choice:
Choose a Test That Has Been FDA-Cleared
There are lots of home drug-testing kits
on the market, but many of them are not FDA-cleared. The FDA
reviews performance data to assure that the drug test meets
current standards for accuracy and reliability. Tests that
are not cleared by the FDA may not meet current laboratory
standards. If the FDA has not reviewed a drug test product,
consumers cannot be assured that the results of that drug
test are as accurate as with an FDA-cleared test such as First
Check Home Drug Testing Kits.
Types of At-Home Drug Testing Kits
There are many home drug testing
kits available. Most are based on urine samples or saliva.
There are kits that test for a single drug including amphetamines
drug tests, barbiturates drug tests, cocaine drug tests, marijuana
(thc) drug tests, meth drug tests and opiate (heroin) drug
tests.
You can also get at-home
drug test kits for panels of drugs. Combinations
range from 2-panel drug tests for marijuana and cocaine to 12-panel
drug tests for marijuana, cocaine, opiates (heroin), meth, Ecstasy,
amphetamines, PCP, benzo's, barbiturates, methadone, tricyclic
antidepressants, and Oxycodone.
How to Collect a Urine Sample for Testing
It is vital that you follow the directions
on the at-home drug testing kit exactly. Be sure to fill
the urine cup to the recommended level. Usually the results
appear after a specified number of minutes. Wait the specified
time to read results. Typically, results are not valid after
the time limit.
Understand the Limits of Drug Test Results
Accuracy of a drug test depends on a variety
of factors, including how soon the test is administered after
ingestion of the drug and the amount of drug in the system
relative to the cutoff concentrations levels (i.e. established
minimum levels).
Some drugs stay in the system longer than
others. Drugs like coke and meth stay in the system up to
2-4 days while PCP stays in the body 7-14 days. Heavy marijiana
users may still test positive up to 40 days after the last
time used.
False positives may result in the
case of testing for amphetamines, if you drink a lot of caffeinated
beverages or take cold medications containing pseudoephedrine.
Other over-the-counter and prescription drugs may also react
with various drug tests. It is important to read all information
with the home drug testing kit so you are aware of what
may cause false positives.
Resources for Finding Home Drug Testing Kits
Drug
test kits are available from Amazon.
A variety of kits are available, ranging from single
test to multiple substance abuse tests in one.
