Saliva Drug Testing

A safe and drug-free workplace has emerged as one of the priorities for employers worldwide, especially in the US. As a result of the same, today, employers encourage their employees to take various types of drug tests using different specimens. Oral fluid or saliva drug testing is one of the most popular and fastest ways to detect the presence of drug in the body. At MedWay Onsite Health Services (OHS), we provide quick and accurate oral fluid testing or saliva testing services to employers and individuals. Everything right from specimen collection to their analysis and results processing is performed by certified experts. This helps us ensure accuracy and speed as demanded in many critical cases.

What is Oral Fluid or Saliva Drug Testing?

Oral fluid drug testing utilizes oral fluid samples to detect drug traces in the body. This is one of the most popular, yet non-intrusive types of drug testing because the saliva can be easily collected from a person. The sample collection device is placed inside the mouth of the person in presence of a certified administrator. The sample thus collected is examined for different drugs. It is ideal for detecting immediate drug use and not recommended for historical drug use testing.

We provide both onsite and laboratory-based services and have adopted stringent quality measures to ensure the appropriateness of the results.

What Are The Benefits of Oral Fluid Drug Testing?

There are several benefits of saliva drug testing, which makes them popular among employers.

It follows a non-invasive and easiest sample collection method, thereby making it more preferable over urine collection.
The specimen is collected in the presence of certified administrators and employers, which minimizes the likelihood of specimen tampering or misplacement.
It offers an affordable testing option over other testing services and most times produces accurate results.
Saliva drug testing helps eliminate any claims on the invasion of privacy claims that often arises during the urine drug testing.

What Are the Detection Times for Saliva Testing?

The saliva-testing detection time is usually 24-72 hours. It may not be suited for detecting long-term overdose or substance abuse problems. In most cases, the drugs can be detected within 30-60 minutes of ingestion. This short detection period makes it suitable for reasonable suspicion, as well as post- accident testing performed immediately after the accident.

How Is a Saliva Specimen Handled? Is Disposal of this Specimen a Major Issue?

The saliva specimen requires no major handling procedures and the disposal of this specimen is not a major issue unlike other bodily fluids or specimens collected during drug and alcohol testing.

Do Saliva Cross-react With Medications?

Yes, it does cross-react with medications. The enzyme-immunoassay antibodies (EIA) are used to test the saliva, and may cross-react with certain types of medications and produce false-positive results. This is why we also perform liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry, also known as LC-MS-MS to confirm the results.

Is Saliva Drug Testing Ideal for All Types of Drug Testing Purposes?

Yes, saliva drug testing is ideal for all types of drug testing purposes including:

Pre-employment Drug Testing: It is generally performed for certain safety-sensitive positions. People who are offered full-time or part-time employment may be subjected to this type of testing.
Random Drug Testing: This type of testing is usually conducted on short notice by employers.
Reasonable Suspicion Drug Testing: In this case, drug testing is initiated by an employer whenever suspicious behavior is noticed in an employee.
Return to Duty Drug Testing: As the name indicates, this type of drug testing is conducted on employees who may be reporting to work after a long absence.
Post-accident Testing: It is generally conducted onsite to analyze the cause of job-related accidents. In recent years, this type of testing has gained popularity because it enables employers to identify the exact cause of accident. In case of positive results, the employers also have the right to deny compensation or continued employment.
Probationary Drug Testing: It is generally performed on employees with a drug abuse history.

Types of Drugs Detected By Saliva Drug Testing
Oral fluid testing can be used to detect a wide range of drugs including the following:

Marijuana
Opiates
Heroin
Methamphetamines
Nicotine
Amphetamines

In addition to these drugs, it can be used to detect the presence of the following drugs:

Oxycodone
Barbiturates
Methadone
Benzodiazepines

Contact Us
In addition to different drug and alcohol testing services, we also provide physical examination, fitness for duty testing and qualitative respiratory mask fitting services. For more information, you can call on any of the below-given numbers or email us your numbers. Our team would be happy to assist you with your testing needs.