Why get tested?
To detect or exclude the presence of abused and/or illegal drugs. This may be carried out for a number of reasons including a pre-employment screen or to comply with a drug rehabilitation programme.

When to get tested?

• If you apply for a job where drug screens are carried out as a routine. Personnel with drug and alcohol problems have worse records for accidents and absenteeism; for this reason many employers screen all job applicants prior to appointment
• If you have admitted having a drug problem and have enrolled in a detoxification or drug rehabilitation scheme
• If you believe you may have taken a drug accidentally or been given a drug without consent (e.g. drink spiking)
• If you are admitted to hospital in an emergency and doctors think that your treatment could be improved if drug abuse could be proved or excluded
• If you take part in a sport at a professional level
• For legal reasons (e.g. child custody cases).

Sample required?
A random urine sample is usually collected for detection of drugs of abuse although they can be detected in blood, sweat, saliva and hair samples.