How to interpret drug test results?
The most important thing to remember when interpreting results is that each test is different, and each person metabolizes drugs differently. In general, though, a positive result indicates that the individual has used the drug within the detection window, while a negative result means they have not.
The presence of a test line, regardless of how faint, indicates a negative result. Even if there is some drug in the urine, if the line is present, the urine does not have the MINIMUM amount of drug needed to consider it positive, so it is considered negative.
You fail a drug or alcohol test by testing positive to a drug test, or registering a 0.04 or greater alcohol content.
After an initial or at-home urine drug test, follow-up testing by the laboratory is necessary to confirm positive test results. Confirmation testing is especially important in cases in which a positive result will negatively affect a person's employment, legal or forensic case, or medical treatment.
The urine marijuana test will be positive if the amount of THC in the sample is more than 50 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). If you use marijuana but your test is negative, it could be because your THC levels are below this level.
Yes, in most cases, the employer will tell you if you've passed the drug test. You'll usually find out when they offer you the job.
Storing a urine sample
Do not keep it for longer than 24 hours. The bacteria in the urine sample can multiply if it is not kept in a fridge. If this happens, it could affect the test results. Some sample containers contain preservative so that urine can be stored for longer at room temperature.
Q: How is a urine drug test collected? A: Urine drug testing requires a minimum of 30 mL of urine (45 mL for a U.S. Department of Transportation collection) collected in the privacy of a restroom. The collector pours the specimen into a bottle that is sealed with tamper-evident tape.
Note: A negative dilute is not a violation, it is a negative drug test result. There should be no violation consequences for a negative dilute drug test result. It is a negative result but could potentially be suspicious because of the amount of water in the urine.
There are two types of dilute specimens: positive and negative. With a positive diluted drug test, the laboratory picks up the presence of an illegal substance despite its dilution. Whether intentional or accidental, the dilution didn't hide the drug levels.
What makes a drug test false negative?
False-negatives can occur when the urine drug concentration is below the threshold level set by the laboratory performing the test. Dilute urine, the duration of time between ingestion of the drug and time of testing, and the quantity of the drug ingested may affect the occurrence of false-negatives.
Refusal to take a drug test can result in termination of employment, and refusal to take a court-ordered screening could result in legal charges. The best course of action is to take the test. Although a moderate inconvenience, it contributes to a safer work environment and shows good faith.

Many employers in their drug-free workplace policies give an employee a second chance after a confirmed and verified positive drug test results. Sometimes the second chance agreement is called the last chance agreement.
Labcorp's certified laboratories provide mass spectrometry confirmation for non-negative rapid test drug screens. Mass spectrometry confirmation results are typically available within 48-72 hours after the specimen is received in the laboratory.
If the test result is proven to be legitimate (especially after multiple retests), you will most likely lose your job. If drug testing was part of a screening application, the company will probably revoke your job offer. However, in some industries or states, you might be given a second chance.
Yellow and orange colors indicate a positive test result, while any other color is reported as a negative result.
- Avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco and strenuous exercise for 24 hours prior to collection and up to collection time. - Do not consume avocados, bananas, eggplant, pineapples, plums, tomatoes or walnuts for 48 hours before the test.
A result of 500 ng/mL is a strong indicator that the patient has used these drugs within the past three days.
For occasional marijuana use (or single event usage), at the 50 ng/mL cutoff level, it would be unusual for the detection of cannabinoids in urine to extend beyond 3-4 days following the smoking episode (using the currently available laboratory- based screening methods or the currently available on-site THC detection ...
A specimen reading less than 20 mg/dl, may be considered adulterated or diluted, but a low creatinine reading does not constitute proof that the specimen donor diluted the specimen to beat the test.
Can a urine test identify a person?
Yes, it's usually possible to recover enough DNA from cells shed into the urine to carry out a DNA identitiy test of the kind used by Forensic Scientists to identify individuals. These tests generally include a sex determination test.
- 5 Types of Drug Tests. Tests also vary depending on the type of substance or drug being screened, and the types of samples needed for lab analysis. ...
- Blood Test. ...
- Breath Test. ...
- Hair Test. ...
- Saliva Test. ...
- Urine Test.
Testing is straightforward: just remove the cap, collect fresh urine in the collection cup, and read the results on the side of the cup after five minutes. To ensure that the urine sample is fresh, the collection cup includes a temperature strip. Lines appear on the test strip for each drug being measured.
- Step 1: Discovery and Development.
- Step 2: Preclinical Research.
- Step 3: Clinical Research.
- Step 4: FDA Drug Review.
- Step 5: FDA Post-Market Drug Safety Monitoring.