Urine and sometimes saliva are used in home drug testing. You can either use a swab in your mouth until enough saliva is gathered for the test, or you can urinate into a cup, in which case the testing is initiated. Both professional and home drug test kits employ the same drug testing technology, and the kits themselves are frequently identical to those used in professional drug tests. The procedures utilized in laboratories yield the most precise testing results. While modern technological equipment, which is comparable to a fingerprint-type test for drugs, is used in laboratories, many home-based kits are immunoassay-based. The presence of a drug is only determined by a mass-spectrometry (MS) test. In this blog, we are going to look at are home drug tests accurate or whether it is better to take a lab-based drug test.

If I pass a home drug test, will I pass a Quest Diagnostics test?

The Quest Diagnostics Drug test is a set of analyses that, considering the positive rates of deidentified laboratory tests the company conducted for a variety of illegal, authorized, and prescribed medicines, offers insights on trends in drug use in the workforce. The mere fact that you passed a drug test at home does not ensure that you will pass one conducted by Quest Diagnostics or any other respectable laboratory. Quest Diagnostics provides reliable findings by using comprehensive testing panels, lower cutoff levels, and state-of-the-art testing methodologies. Questioning are home drug testing accurate is logical.  Home drug testing may have problems with accuracy and sensitivity, leading to surprising findings. Furthermore, confirmatory tests are routinely performed in professional labs to validate results and lower the risk of false positives or false negatives. Drug testing needs to be done carefully, and reputable laboratories’ experience is essential for the most reliable and accurate results.

Are at-home drug tests accurate?  

Although they don’t always indicate the presence of drugs, home drug test kits are helpful markers of possible drug usage. While looking for a drug test, people mostly ask the question of are home drug tests accurate or if they should opt for a lab drug test. Most home drug test kits use technology that targets one drug while also detecting similar substances. A home drug test kit for methylamphetamine may also detect amphetamine or components in cold and flu remedies; therefore, the findings should always be read cautiously. Though tests are generally reliable, occasionally, they may yield an inaccurate result or fail entirely.

Are home drug tests and lab tests the same thing?
The testing procedures employed in laboratories yield the highest levels of accuracy. While the laboratory utilizes mass spectrometry (MS), which is comparable to a fingerprint-type test for drugs, many home-based kits are immunoassay-based. It is unknown if a drug is present or not until it is tested by MS. A home drug test has no true legal validity and is only helpful as a “look-see” kind of test. According to the law, a second test utilizing mass spectrometry carried out by a forensic or pathology laboratory is necessary. In the event that the sample is taken for a legal matter at home, there will also be problems with the chain of custody.

What is the difference between the processes of a Home Drug test and a Lab Drug test?

Home drug test includes a sample collection either by urinating into a cup, which initiates the testing process, or using a swab to extract enough saliva to be tested. In many cases, the kits used in home drug tests are identical to those used in professional drug tests, and the drug testing technology remains the same. The saliva testing equipment used by police at the roadside is similar to that of the home tests. It indicates that the substance may be present if the test is positive. The presence or absence of a medication can only be determined by mass spectrometry in the lab. In lab drug testing, the collectors are educated, and the documentation guarantees that the results are legally defendable. A specimen will be collected and sent to a facility for testing, and the findings will be available in a few days. Regardless of who requests the testing, samples must still be examined using mass spectrometry, which is carried out by a pathology or forensic laboratory.

Can you use 3-day old urine drug test?

For around two to four days, most drugs of abuse can be recognized. However, the more often the drug is used over a longer period, and the larger the dosage, the greater the chance of detection. Substances are eliminated from the body at different rates, but they nonetheless build up in the body over time. While a single cocaine use may only be detected in urine for a day or less, everyday usage that is sustained is likely to be detected in urine for two to three days after stopping. For drug testing, urine samples must stay warm to be recognized as legitimate. This is because the presence of inactive metabolites, which are inactive byproducts of medications that the body has previously metabolized, in cold urine frequently causes false positive findings. A 3-day-old urine sample will not work in passing a drug test. 

Conclusion 

In the end, testing carried out by knowledgeable experts in a regulated laboratory using pricey equipment is more precise. All you need to ensure is that you are getting exactly what you paid for when you shell out hundreds of dollars for complex testing using advanced equipment. Be sure with Choice DNA’s lab testing lab testing or order the home drug test online.