Saliva Drug Test FAQ

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Medically Reviewed By -
Published on Apr 5th, 2021

Oral Fluid Drug Testing: A simple and mess-free tactic

Instead of Urine or Hair drug testing, saliva drug testing is a fantastic alternative to detect recent drug usage. Oral fluid testing is a great tool for employers to use at a workplace in order to facilitate a systematic drug check up ranging from pre-employment to post accident.

Why Oral Drug Testing:

Pros:

What is the average time it takes to receive Oral Saliva test results?

We made sure our drug tests offer fast and reliable results. The oral drug tests show results instantaneously, approximately between 5-10 minutes by revealing colored lines in the appropriate spot.

Why are saliva drug tests gaining popularity in the workplace?

Oral drug tests eliminate the challenges that come with hair and urine testing. A few examples include privacy, lack of specimen, gender based collection issues,etc.. Saliva drug tests do not require a large sample thus eliminating allocated time to collect the specimen. This makes it an easier process for the employer and employee and ensures in increase in accuracy.

What is the average detection time for Saliva Drug Tests?

A mouth swab drug test on average is able to detect recent drug usage ranging from 24 to 48 hours. The usual time frame cut off is 6-12 hours post-use.

Can you cheat the Saliva Drug Test?

Cheating methods will not work on the Saliva Drug Test since it is Foolproof making it extremely difficult to tamper with the sample. Oral Fluid drug testing is easy to monitor since it does not require privacy and is not affected by:

  • Raking the tongue with a toothbrush
  • Hydrogen Peroxide Mouthwash
  • Use of Minty toothpaste or breath mints
  • Drinking Water

What drugs are detected:

An oral drug test kit can detect up to 14 different drugs. The drugs being detected depend on how many panels are included. These are known as the most abused and common drugs that employers request to have tested.

  • Alcohol (ALC)
  • Amphetamines (AMP)
  • Barbiturates (BAR)
  • Benzodiazepines (BZO)
  • Buprenorphine (BUP)
  • Cocaine (COC)
  • Fentanyl (FEN)
  • Marijuana (THC)
  • Methadone (MTD)
  • Methamphetamines (mAMP)
  • Opiates (OPI)
  • Oxycodone (OXY)
  • Phencyclidine (PCP)
  • Synthetic Marijuana (K2/Spice)

Benefits of Saliva Drug Testing:

Importance of a drug free environment in the workplace

How does a drug-free environment make a business environment better?

The simple one worded answer is productivity. A drug free environment can make all the difference for a company's morale and its productivity levels. Employees are the biggest asset to a company: it is vital to make sure they are healthy and happy by hiring drug free candidates and consistently discouraging drug usage. Stress can get to the best of us; but with convenient drug tests we can all work together to create a more successful workforce.

Other benefits of a drug-free workplace: 

  • Better relationship building
  • Increase in sales
  • Decrease in accidents and fatalities
  • Decrease in tardiness and absenteeism
  • Decrease health care costs in “bad health” allowing more resources to enter the “good health” budget

Are Saliva Drug Tests Accurate?

Saliva drug tests are very dependable point-of-care tests (POCT). Staffing and recruiting professionals prefer to issue oral drug test kits for candidate screening. Occupational safety managers who demand full-time sobriety can also benefit from using saliva drug tests.

How to facilitate Oral Drug Testing:

How does the test work :

  1. The donor will be instructed to rub the swab component, usually resembling a sponge or lollipop, of the drug test against cheeks or under the tongue until a sufficient amount of saliva specimen is collected (this process takes approximately 2 minutes)
  2. The donor will return the saturated swab to the collector. The collector will then insert the swab into the collection container to run the test panels.
  3. Wait about 10 minutes for the saliva to saturate the panels. After the wait time, the panels will reveal colored lines which will indicate either positive or negative drug test results. (look down further for a guide in interpreting results)

Interpreting Results:

How do I read the results of a Saliva Drug Test?

1 line suggests a positive result and 2 lines determine a negative results. Each panel resembles a different drug being tested for.

Negative saliva drug test

Positive saliva drug test

Next Steps:

How can my business adopt Saliva Drug Test ?

Saliva drug tests are easy to conduct by employers and have various applications. Ensuring a safe workplace can easily be done by following our step by step process listed above on how to navigate an Oral drug test. Sign up and purchases on Test country to receive Oral drug tests that will foster a safe and productive environment. We offer many configurations and even supply drug tests with FDA and DOT certifications for compliance officers. Explore our collection to find the right oral drug test kit for you.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the detection window of various drugs using oral fluid drug testing?

Depending on the type of drug(s) used and drug cutoff levels, saliva drug test detection time for substance abuse ranges between 6 hours and one week. Drug detection times for saliva drug test kits are shorter compared to urine drug tests or hair follicle drug tests. However, saliva drug tests are the right solution if trying to screen for recent substance use, since saliva samples contain a higher percentage of the parent drug than other sample types.

Can I cheat on a mouth swab drug test?

It is virtually impossible to cheat a saliva drug test. While urine drug testing requires a bathroom for private specimen collection, a swab drug test does not. By placing an absorbent cotton swab in a donor’s mouth, designated collectors or healthcare professionals can directly administer and supervise a saliva drug test to prevent adulteration and specimen replacement. It is very difficult to pass a saliva drug test apart from staying sober.

How accurate is oral fluid drug testing?

Mouth swab drug tests are highly effective in detecting recent drug abuse. Business owners who require rapid drug testing should opt for saliva drug tests if they wish to obtain reliable results instantly. Oral fluid collection can be supervised to prevent adulterated drug test results, and saliva drug test detection times can be as short as 6 hours after intoxication. Since saliva specimens contain a high percentage of the parent drug, oral drug tests are appropriate to identify recent substance abuse.

What are the pros and cons of using saliva drug test kits?

Oral drug test kits are very donor friendly. Oral fluid drug testing is non-invasive and allows for easy, supervised specimen collection. Saliva drug test results can be read in minutes and there is no need for a laboratory or bathroom. Saliva drug tests offer earlier drug detection window compared to other drug testing methods. Select oral drug test kits feature a saliva indicator to confirm adequate sample collection. The early detection window of saliva drug tests is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Factors like a donor’s saliva flow rate, drug type and drug concentration will make the detection window fluctuate between 6 hours and 7 days. In addition, improper saliva collection might yield invalid drug test results. Saliva drug test kits like our 12 Panel SalivaConfirm Oral Fluid Drug Test can detect multiple drugs of abuse at once; however, panel configurations are available to test for up to 14 different substances.

What do mouth swab drug tests test for?

Saliva drug testing can detect 5 to 14 drugs of abuse at once. A standard 5 panel saliva drug test identifies the following drugs:

  • Amphetamine (AMP)
  • Cocaine (COC)
  • Marijuana (THC)
  • Methamphetamine (mAMP)
  • Opiates (OPI)

Some oral drug tests can also screen for:

  • Alcohol (ALC)
  • Barbiturates (BAR)
  • Benzodiazepines (BZO)
  • Buprenorphine (BUP)
  • Fentanyl (FEN)
  • Methadone (MTD)
  • Morphine (MOR)
  • Opiates (OPI)
  • Oxycodone (OXY)

In What Industries do they use Oral Fluid Drug Testing?

Saliva drug tests can be used within any industry. Examples of industries where saliva drug testing is prevalent include staffing firms where pre-employment drug screening is required, hazardous occupational settings where random or periodic drug testing is used, and probation drug testing where sobriety and zero tolerance must be upheld.

What are some advantages of using a saliva drug test over other more traditional drug test methods like urine or hair testing?

Several factors will determine which drug test method is ideal for you. Traditional urine drug testing offers a large detection window and screens drug metabolites at low concentration cut off levels. Of all drug test methods, hair follicle drug testing provides the longest detection window and can identify drug abuse 90 days prior to analysis. Saliva tests have a shorter detection window than other drug test types (usually 6 hours to one week). Other benefits of mouth swab drug testing include mobility, non-invasiveness and immediate results.

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