Oral Fluid Drug Testing FAQ

Why should I use oral fluid drug testing?

When a person consumes drugs, they are broken down by the liver, and a proportion of the drug and its metabolites are released into the bloodstream, whilst some of the drug is excreted from the body in a variety of ways, including though saliva.

A small, self-contained oral fluid screening device can be used to detect these substances and provide what is known as a ‘narrow-window’ of detection of up to approximately 48 hours.

This type of testing is ideal for regular use before a case progresses to the official proceedings stage – for example, where a parent has sole custody of the child(ren) over a weekend or after planned child visits. Regular use of narrow window testing can complement hair or nail drug testing (which provide details of historic drug use) to potentially prevent the case moving into full care proceedings.

Why is oral fluid testing becoming more popular?

Local authorities and social workers involved in child welfare cases are increasingly using oral fluid testing to establish patterns of parental drug use. The narrow detection window of 48 hours for oral fluid testing is ideal when it is suspected that someone might be under the influence of drugs in the ‘here and now’.

Oral fluid testing is easy to administer, difficult to adulterate and requires no special facilities for collection. It is also non-invasive and more hygienic than some other forms of testing, making it ideal for cases where repeat testing at regular intervals is needed. 

How long can a drug be detected in oral fluid?

For most drugs, the window of detection is 24 – 48 hours. Our standard panel of drugs tested for in oral fluid includes methamphetamine, opiates, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine and benzodiazepines.

What drugs are detected with an oral fluid test?

Our oral fluid tests can detect a variety of substances including amphetamine, benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine and opiates.

Is drug testing in oral fluid reliable?

AlphaBiolabs has extensive experience providing drug testing services for local authorities, family law professionals and social workers. We have invested in the very latest technology for our state-of-the-art toxicology laboratory, employing the best scientists, so you can be confident of receiving a 100% accurate result.

Our oral fluid (saliva) drug tests are extremely reliable and 100% accurate, based on the sample provided by the donor at the time of collection.

Our sample collectors follow strict procedures throughout the collection process to ensure that chain of custody is maintained and results are legally defensible.

Laboratory confirmation provides further reassurance that all drug tests results are 100% reliable, and that the findings are accurate. Furthermore, detailed laboratory analysis removes any doubt whatsoever about which substances were detected.

What are cut off levels?

Cut off levels refer to the minimum concentration of drug in a sample that can be deemed positive and are measured in nanograms per millilitre (ng/ml). The table below shows the drugs that can be tested for in oral fluid, their detection rate (in hours) and cut-off level (ng/ml). 

For expert advice on which drugs test is best for your client, or to request a quote, call AlphaBiolabs’ Legal team on 0140 29466 or email testing@alphabiolabs.com.

Alternatively, complete our online quote form, and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss your needs.

What happens during an oral fluid test?

One of our trained collectors will take an initial sample of the donor’s saliva for the oral fluid drug test. This will be immediately screened for the drugs in the pre-selected panel. This can be done as a stand-alone collection or when collecting other sample types such as hair or nails.

The sample collector will prepare the oral fluid testing device, which is equipped with an absorbent sample pad that is rubbed around the inside of the sample donor’s mouth to collect saliva for testing. Once the sample has been taken, the sample collector will put the absorbent pad into the test cassette.

For a negative result, a line will appear next to each of the substance classes on the device, indicating that no substances were detected in the sample. A negative screening result will conclude the oral fluid testing there and then.

For a non-negative result, a line will fail to appear next to one or more of the substance classes on the device. This indicates that the corresponding substance was detected in the saliva sample.

If the test returns a non-negative result, two further saliva samples will be taken by the sample collector and returned to AlphaBiolabs’ state-of-the-art toxicology laboratory for in-depth analysis, so that the result can be confirmed.

What if someone declines to be tested?

If an individual declines to be tested at their appointment, this would be reported back to the instructing party so they can agree the next course of action.

What facilities should be provided for oral fluid collection?

No special facilities are required. The testing can be done regularly via our wide network of professional sample collectors or at our Dublin walk-in centre. Because the testing is carried out following strict chain of custody requirements, a court- approved report is available if required.

Is there any preparation required for the test?

The donor can keep taking any prescribed medication. They can continue eating and drinking normally until 10 minutes prior to testing. The sample collector will check with the donor whether or not they have taken anything by mouth in the last 10 minutes. This is to ensure that no residue remains from any product that could affect the test result. If they have ingested anything in this time period, then they will be asked to wait 10 minutes before the testing is carried out.

Can the result be challenged?

The result of a test can be challenged, however our oral fluid (saliva) drug tests are extremely accurate and reliable, based on the sample provided by the donor at the time of collection.

Our sample collectors follow strict procedures throughout the collection process to ensure that chain of custody is maintained and results are legally admissible.

Where a non-negative result is obtained in the initial screening, a further two oral fluid/saliva samples must be collected under chain of custody for laboratory testing. Both samples are then returned to the toxicology laboratory for in-depth analysis and confirmation of the test result.

The addition of this laboratory confirmation provides further reassurance that all drug tests results are 100% reliable, and that the findings are accurate. Furthermore, detailed laboratory analysis removes any doubt whatsoever about which substances were detected.

How soon after use can a drug be detected in oral fluid?

Oral fluid testing can detect drugs in saliva approximately 30 – 60 minutes after ingestion, which makes it ideal for regular testing of your client.

Can oral fluid testing be affected by over-the- counter medications?

Potentially yes, they can cause a false positive when using the screening device, but all non-negative results are confirmed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) in the laboratory testing to eliminate this possibility.

Can an oral fluid test be beaten?

It is possible that donors may try to introduce something into the collection device. However, this risk is highly unlikely since every collection is directly carried out by a trained sample collections officer following strict chain of custody processes.

Who collects the sample?

The sample is collected by one of our specially trained collections officers who follow strict chain of custody procedures. The testing can be done as a one-off or regularly via an appointment with a sample collector, or at our Dublin walk-in centre.

Is oral fluid drug testing expensive?

Unlike hair testing which looks at historic drug use, oral fluid testing is a very cost-effective way of checking drug levels for substances that have been taken in the previous 2-3 days. This makes it ideal for regular testing.

For expert advice on whether oral fluid testing is best for your client, or to request a quote, call AlphaBiolabs’ Legal team on 0140 29466 or email testing@alphabiolabs.com.

Alternatively, complete our online quote form, and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss your needs.