Compounds that are present in a person’s blood are present in their saliva. Saliva tests measure the parent compound: the psychoactive element of the drug. Detection of the parent compound in saliva indicates that the drug has entered the blood stream.
When it comes to looking at the positive result – higher levels of the parent compound indicate higher levels of the drug contained within the body. Scientifically, this is why saliva levels comes closest to measure impairment, although there is no method that can accurately measure true impairment. You can understand why saliva comes closest when compared to urine testing because urine tests do not measure the parent compound, they measure the by-product compounds or “metabolites”, which do not correspond with impairment levels.
Oral fluid (saliva) testing has the ability to detect drug use within the first few hours, a window of time that can be missed by urine testing, and to detect most drugs from 1 to 4 days after last use. In some cases, it will return a positive result immediately after usage. This makes oral testing the best testing method for both reasonable suspicion and post-accident testing. The early detection time is also very useful in dosage monitoring.
In minutes, a sample can be collected nearly anywhere. Sensitive gender, observation, and privacy issues often associated with urine collection are eliminated for everyone involved. The results are as accurate as a blood test, but without clinics, pain or needles.
Specimen Collection
All oral fluid drug tests are administered under supervised observation, making concealed tampering with the test sample virtually impossible. The collector places the collection pad in the donor’s cheek and gum for at least two minutes. Once the absorbent collection pad is saturated, it is placed in a vial, the handle of the collection device is snapped off at the rim of the vial, the vial is sealed, and the donor initials the seal. The entire process takes just 5 minutes.
Fast, Reliable Results
Our dependable turnaround times drive timely hiring decisions. Oral fluid samples are sent by overnight delivery and are typically tested on the day they arrive at our laboratory. Negative results are often released within 24 hours. Non-negative screens undergo confirmatory testing and are typically released within an additional 24-72 hours.
Drugs Detected
- • Amphetamine/methamphetamine/ecstasy
- • Barbiturates
- • Benzodiazepines
- • Cannabinoid (THC)
- • Cocaine
- • Ethyl Alcohol
- • Opiates (codeine, morphine, 6-acetylmorphine)
- • Phencyclidine (PCP)
- • Propoxyphene
To set up an oral fluid drug testing program, contact CleanFleet today, 503-479-6082 or fill out the form below.
