As pre-employment testing can be sprung on people (with only a few hours notice), self-testing drug test kits are always needed urgently!

We receive daily phone calls from people needing our products asap! So, directing our customers to a nearby store would make a lot of sense.

The ScreenClear 8 panel urine drug test comes with a standard EAN and UPC retail barcode for integration with your stores inventory system.

If you’re a store who’d like to sample any of our products, we’ll send out a few complementary samples absolutely free!

Here’s how we can provide value,

• Same day, fast shipping
• Huge variety and combination of products
• Guaranteed lowest price in Oz
• Complies to Australian Standard AS4308
• 30 day terms available (conditions apply)
• No minimum order quantity

If you’d like to sample any of our products, please let us know by filling in the form below.

The post Wholesale drug tests appeared first on OZ Drug Tests.

1. New THC threshold.
For onsite drug testing devices, the THC (delta9THC) cut off has to be lowered to 15ng/ml, from the old 25ng/ml. Further more the laboratory for confirmation testing has a lowered the THC cut off of 5ng/ml, from the old 10ng/ml. 

2. Addition of Oxycodone
For onsite devices the new standard requires to test for oxycodone (brand name Endone). This is a synthetic opiate not derived from morphine so it wasn’t detectable in the previous standard. This will need to test at levels of 40ng/ml

3. Chain of custody form additions
The chain of custody form has a few different requirements. Such as recording added reasons for drug testing, and now any missing, or wrong information will be regarded as a fatal error and must not be used.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

The post Saliva Drug Testing Standard AS/NZ 4760 revision appeared first on OZ Drug Tests.

“This is about keeping people safe.” Says Police association president Tony King

The reason for stopping RBT’s is if one person has the corona virus and contaminates the officer’s gloves or breathalyser, then they could possibly contaminate the next 40, 50, 100 people!

Police will still be pulling suspect drivers over and subjecting them to alcohol and drug testing…. but just not at a roadside RBT station. This will scale up the mobile testing teams, police have said.

Officers will seek to wear masks where possible when making close contact arrests. Police could also be directed to deal with more crimes “over the phone or by video link”.

A decision to reduce stationary roadside random breath-testing in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak would lead to an immediate spike in alcohol-related road deaths and injuries, road safety experts said.

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Your support went the way of our outback fire victims, particularly those who live in Kangaroo Island.

We were able to donate some much needed funds to the KANGAROO ISLAND-Mayors Bushfire Appeal Fund through Go Fund Me

It breaks our hearts to know that all the wild life had no chance to escape these fire storms. Approximately 25,000 koalas perished in the fires, and tens of thousand sheep and cattle.

Much needed support is still needed here and around Oz! Please give as much as you can to charities you think would benefit most, and let’s give our mates hardest hit the best chance to get back on their feet. WE GOT THIS!

The post Kangaroo Island Bush fire Appeal appeared first on OZ Drug Tests.

The 5 detection levels are…

• 18ng/ml
• 50ng/ml
• 150ng/ml
• 300ng/ml
• 600ng/ml

1st level – 18ng/ml, Very light smoking, or within the last 72hours

2nd level – 50ng/ml, Occasional smoking, maybe every weekend. This is the standard cut off level in medical centres, or workplaces.

3rd level – 150ng/ml, Occasional to habit smoking, every other day.

4th level – 300ng/ml, Regular smoking, probably daily smoking

5th level – 600ng/ml, Very regular smoking, a few times per day.

Know Your Level

The most tested drug in urine is Marijuana. This is because it takes so long to leave a persons system.

A heavy smoker could still test positive, even after 4 weeks off the drug! This is because THC is fat soluble. THC metabolites attach themselves to your fat cells, and we all know how hard fat cells are to get rid of.

You can know have a better idea of how long it takes to become clean!

Take your first test to use as a reference… Then, as time goes by, see your level of THC dissipate from your system until you’re completely free of the drug!

Click here for more information.

The post New product – 5 THC levels appeared first on OZ Drug Tests.

With so many people being caught out after a few drinks… and even the morning after a big night, can breathalysers be relied on?

Semi conductors

You’ll find semiconductor sensors in breathalysers for $5-$100. They were used in old versions of alcohol breath testers. You can still find them for sale, but don’t trust them to give you accuracy.

They work by heating up a coil, and when alcohol is pushed through the chamber by your breath, the resistance changes, and this resistance change is measured as your Blood Alcohol Content(BAC).

Semi conductors were mainly used to detect alcohol in the air… NOT TO MEASURE IT. This type of sensor needs to be warmed up first before use, sometimes for 60 seconds each test.

Here is a chart that shows the variance in accuracy of a semi conductor vs a fuel cell sensor.

The error ratio is of the semi conductor is +/-0.01 at 0.08 BAC. Which equals 12% above and below actual BAC. As you can see, the higher the BAC, the wider the error of margin extends.

At 0.08 BAC the range stretches from 0.07 to 0.09. That’s a huge difference! Further out to 0.12 BAC the margin possibilities grow from 0.105 to 0.134!

Compare that to a Fuel Cell which has lower than 5% margin of error. This is why the police (or anyone serious about accuracy) only use fuel cell breathalysers.

Fuel Cell Sensors

Fuel cell sensors offer the most accurate and stable readings in breathalyser technology in the world today.

When we say stable, we mean they will not defer as mush as a semi conductor when foreign substances are introduced such as cigarette smoke or some foods.

Check out this video on accuracy of fuel cells

Fuel cell sensors works by using an electrochemical reaction for platinum against ethanol molecules. How many ethanol molecules get through equates to the level of BAC.

When ethanol passes through a fuel cell it’s converted to electricity, then the breathalyser measures the current of the electricity and that become the BAC reading. See video below

Calibration

Calibration is a must with alcohol breathalysers. The perfect analogy is a clock that needs readjusting after a long period of time, so does a breathalyser.

After many tests being performed (usually hundreds) the alcohol sensor will need to be changed, or adjusted back to working specifications.

Breathalysers are very sensitive instruments, as the cells are exposed to alcohol over time (especially high levels of alcohol), the accuracy can drift and give inaccurate results. This is why buying a unit that has calibration capabilities is a must!

Check out this video using an Australian police breathalyser the LE5

These breathalysers can be calibrated which makes them favourable compared to throw away versions.

Today’s Breathalysers

Today, alcohol breath testers range from as a key ring sensor, to wall fixed breathalysers with print out and GPS capabilities.

Sadly, the gap between good and bad seems to be widening with the rise of ebay/amazon and “race to the bottom” type of market platforms.

Such units that cost under $100 are usually from shady sellers and manufacturers.

There are a few things you need to look for when choosing an accurate unit. Such as,

• Fuel cell sensor! This is a must!!
• The ability to be calibrated
• Quick start up times
• Rechargeable
• Workplace breathalyses should have a passive mode

Breathalysers with a Passive mode have a setting where no mouthpieces need to be used. Just like a police breath test in the above video, some testers have the ability to detect alcohol in the air. This is great to save money on mouthpieces, and also (just like the straw saga) to help the environment from plastic litter.

So in conclusion, alcohol breath tests can definitely be relied on! But they have to be a reputable distributor with fuel cell technology.

The post Can alcohol breath tests be relied on? appeared first on OZ Drug Tests.

It is normal with drug testing devices that there will be false results sometimes due to either contamination of the sample, or close molecular chemical similarities to the drug being tested.

In most cases the result is actually NOT a false positive technically speaking, because the medication the person is already taking IS actually that drug! For example, a person might be taking a pain medication and then test positive for opiates. What they actually tested positive was for codeine, which is an opiate!

Check out our in depth review of drugs that cause false positives below

Many medicines you can purchase at your local chemist containing pseudo-ephedrine, ephedrine, or other sympathomimetic amines tend to interfere with urine screening tests and cause false positive results for amphetamines, but do not cause positive test results in the gas chromatography/mass spectrometric, or GC/MS, confirmation, thus pose no serious challenge in drugs-of-abuse testing.

In contrast, several prescription medicines containing opioids, amphetamines, or other ingredients can cause positive confirmed results in DOA testing. Eg Use of Marinol to control severe pain produces a positive confirmatory test for marijuana metabolite (11-nor-9-carboxy9 -tetrahydrocannabinol; THC-COOH) in urine.

It is important for an individual undergoing workplace drug testing to report the use of such prescription medication and name of the prescribing doctor so the Medical Review Officer can contact the doctor and verify medical use of such controlled substances. Otherwise, employment may be denied or other adverse action may be taken by the employer against that individual.

Urine drug testing

False positives

False positives in urine testing do happen from time to time, and must be followed up with pathology confirmation testing via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). This will take away any chance of a false result.

One of the most popular stories is how poppy seeds tend to cause positive results for opium. Opiates are detected in drug tests by identifying morphine, and because morphine is made from the same plant as the poppy seed it produces a false positive to opiates.

False negatives

This is a substantially higher safety issue than false positives, because a drug taker could deliberately fool the test and be at risk of hurting themselves or others. Unless the test is followed up by GC/MS, they could slip through the process and cause harm.

False negatives could also occur due to incorrect testing methods due to lack of training or faulty testing devices. The biggest cause of false readings is due to the sample being tampered with. The patient could water down their sample or use a commercially sold synthetic urine, etc. These tactics have been voided thanks to modern testing methods called adulteration testing.

Adulteration tests for creatinine, nitrite, glutaraldehyde, pH, specific gravity, bleach, pyridinium chlorochromate in urine.

Saliva drug testing

False positives

Like urine, positive results have to be followed up with pathology confirmation testing in a lab. Again, this will take away any chance of a false result.

There are a few things that will cause a false positive in saliva testing. Prescription drugs such as pain killers that contain codeine or other opiates. Some antibiotics can trigger cocaine and opiates. Ventolin (Asthma medication) can set off the drug test for amphetamine. B-2 vitamin causes false positives for THC, etc. This is why the subject must let the collector know exactly what medications they are taking.

False negatives

False negatives occur mostly when the subject has adulterated the test results. This can happen more easily with saliva drug testing. There are a lot of mouthwashes commercially sold that say it can beat a saliva drug test. Sometimes they can, and sometimes they can’t. Some people say vinegar rubbed on the tongue, or Listerine breath freshening strips just before the test… but that is immediately before the screen. The way around this is to make sure the subject has had nothing in their mouth for at least 10 minutes prior to the test.

What drugs cause false positives? Here are hundreds of drugs that may cause a false positive on a drug test

In depth review of drugs that cause false positives

Amphetamine/Methamphetamine

The active chemical of some medication will be metabolised to amphetamine, this will cause positive amphetamine/methamphetamine test results. Eg Adderall contains a mixed amphetamine salt widely prescribed as a psycho-stimulant medication for attention deficit hyperactive disorder, or ADHD, or ADD, and use of such medication would cause a positive amphetamine test.

In 2002 the Food and Drug Administration in the USA approved eye drops which contained hydroxyamphetamine and tropicamide. Although amphetamine is metabolised to hydroxyamphetamine, hydroxyamphetamine is not metabolised to amphetamine. Therefore, use of such products should not cause a positive (non-negative) amphetamine test result.

Drugs that may cause false positive to amphetamines include,

• Diet pills (Amfepramone, Amphetaminil, Clobenzorex, Benzphetamine, Fenfluramine,  Fenproporex, Mefenorex, Obetrol, Phentermine)
• Attention deficit disorder medication (Ritalin, Dextroamphetamine, Adderall, Benzedrine, Pemoline, Pemoline)
• Cold medication (pseudoephedrine (old sudafed), Vick’s Inhaler, Promethazine, Allerest,  Bromphenlramlne, Dimetapp (loratadine), Efidac, Phenylephrine, Sinarest)
• Antidepressants (Bupropion, Fluoxetine)
• Blood pressure tablets (Labetalol)
• Asthma medication (Inhalers, Ephedrine, Primatene-M, Tedral)
• Antidepressants (Wellbutrin,  Desipramine,  Selegiline,  Trazodone)
• Parkinson’s disease medication (Amantadine, Deprenyl, Eldepryl)
• Malaria treatment (Chloroquine)
• Schizophrenia Medication (Chlorpromazine, Fluspirilene, Quetiapine)
• Anti-inflammatory (Famprofazone)
• Eye drops with Pholedrine
• High blood pressure medicine (Labetalol, Procainamide)
• Antihistamine (Mepyramine, Phenegan-D)
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease medication (Ranitidine)

Opiates/Morphine

Several medications from the chemist for pain relief contain codeine, morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, or a related opioid. Oxycodone has variable cross-reactivity with different opiate-screening assays.

There is also a specific immunoassay which recognizes the presence of oxycodone in urine… but taking codeine or morphine containing analgesic medication produces positive opiate test results in drugs-of-abuse testing.

Be careful when eating a beagle, or a poppy seed roll! Poppy seeds is where morphine comes from, and morphine is the main calibrator in drug tests for opiates.

Drugs that may cause false positive to opiates include,

• Pain medication (Codeine, Dihyrocodeine, Hydromorphone, Loratab, Dextropropoxyphene, Remedine)
• Cold Medication (codeine, Pholcodine, Hycodan)
• Poppy seeds
• Schizophrenia medication (Amisulpride, Chlorpromazine)
• Antibiotics (Ampicin, quinolone, Fluoroquinolone, Lomefloxacin, Ofloxacin, Pefloxacin, Rifampicin, Sparfloxacin)
• Hospital local anaesthetics (Cyclimorph, Pethidine, Procaine)
• Antidiarrhoeal medicines (Diocalm)

Marijuana/Cannabis

Although marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug, a synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol (Marinol) is used for treating nausea and vomiting in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and also as an appetite stimulant to patients with AIDS. Because Marinol is also converted into marijuana metabolite (THC-COOH), it causes positive marijuana tests; however, 9 -tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), which is a natural constituent of cannabis products, is not in Marinol.

THCV is metabolized by the human liver into THCV-COOH, and the presence of this metabolite (in addition to THC-COOH in urine) indicates abuse of marijuana rather than prescription use of Marinol.

Drugs that may cause false positive to cannabis include,

• B-2 Vitamines (Riboflavin)
• Marinol
• Anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Advil, Naproxen, Flurbiprofen, Piroxicam, Genpril, Haltran, Indocin, Ketoprofen, Etodolac, Medipren, Midol, Motrin, Nuprin, Relafen, Tolmetin, Voltaren)
• HIV/AIDS medication (Efavirenz, Atripla, Sustiva)
• Esophagitis and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease medication (Proton pump inhibitors- Dexlansoprazole, Esomeprazole, Kepidax, Lansoprazole, Omeprazole, Pantoprazole, Rabeprazole, Zegerid)
• High blood pressure medication (Edecrin)
• Hempseed Oil (Cannabis Seed/Hemp Oil)

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepine(Valium) is part of the AS4308 and is required to be tested in urine testing in Australia. Benzodiazepines is one class of the most frequently prescribed drugs in Australia, and these are used as tranquillisers, muscle relaxants, and anticonvulsants as well as to treat symptoms of anxiety.

More than 50 different types of benzodiazepines exist, but not all 50 drugs are available in Australia. The most commonly prescribed benzodiazepines in Australia are Valium, temazepam, alprazolam, lorazepam, and clonazepam. Other examples of derivatives in this class include areestazolam, halazepam, and quazepam.

Usually, immunoassay screening for benzodiazepines recognizes the presence of common drugs and metabolites after medical use or abuse. ElSohly, et al, analyzed benzodiazepines in 156 urine specimens from alleged victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault and observed that oxazepam was confirmed in 50% of the specimens followed by nor-diazepam (48%), temazepam (43%), and diazepam (40%), while the presence of alprazolam was confirmed in 21.8% specimens and lorazepam in 15.4% specimens.

Drugs that may cause false positive to benzodiazepines include,

• Mostly anti-anxiety medication derived from benzodiazepines (xanax, Niravam, Alprazolam, Zoloft, Anxitol, lorazepam, Bromazepam)
• Antibiotics (Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole,

Cocaine

Cocaine is used infrequently as a local anesthetic in ear, nose, and throat surgery, and also is administered topically during ophthalmitic procedures.

Positive drug testing results for cocaine (as benzoylecgonine, the major metabolite) may be encountered in subjects who have undergone such procedures. A patient may be positive up to 72 hours after an otolaryngologic procedure where cocaine is used as an anesthetic.

Cocaine metabolite can also be detected in the urine specimen of the physician who is performing the procedure.4 Jacobson, et al, studied the effect of use of ophthalmic solution containing cocaine on urine excretion of benzoylecgonine in patients. Out of 50 subjects studied, 47 subjects (94%) demonstrated a positive screening result for cocaine (as benzoylecgonine) four to six hours after receiving eye drops.

In addition, 35 subjects (70%) showed positive results 24 hours after receiving eye drops containing cocaine.

The authors conclude that ophthalmic administration of cocaine may cause positive test results up to two days after procedure.

Drugs that may cause false positive to cocaine include,

• Antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Ampicillin)
• Coca tea, Coca leaf, Coca flour, Coca oil
• Kidney disease medication
• Some pain medication
• Aesthetics (bupivacaine, Sensorcaine, Vivacaine)

Novocain, although synthetically derived from cocaine, has a distinct structural difference from cocaine and the metabolite of cocaine (benzoylecgonine). Therefore, use of Novocain during dental procedures or use of other anesthetic agents, including benzocaine, tetracaine, and lidocaine, should not cause false-positive cocaine test results in urine DOA testing.

Conclusion

Both urine and saliva drug testing methods will have false positives/negatives from time to time, and in most cases will be the same for urine and saliva. Saliva tests seem to have more false negatives due to the ease of diluting or altering the sample against the person being tested. Also, saliva testing has been around for a while, but compared to urine testing, it’s still considered to be evolving. Urine testing is considered the gold standard.

Reference

https://www.askdocweb.com/falsepositives/#Substances_that_may_cause_a_false_positive

Please contact me here if you have any questions or comments, and I will get back to you asap.

The post Drug testing false positives and false negatives appeared first on OZ Drug Tests.

In Australia we have standards most companies choose to go by. There are two main ways to test for drugs…. And they are urine and saliva. Here are the two standards and what they require to test for,

Urine AS4308

THC (marijanua)

Amphetamines (Speed)

Methamphetamine (Ice)

Opiates (pain killers)

Cocaine

Benzodiazepines (Valium)

Saliva AS4760

Opiates

Amphetamines

THC (maijuane)

Cocaine

These are standards where companies (who drug test their own staff), and workplace drug testing companies need to adhere to. In saying that, some companies choose to test for more drugs like MDMA (ecstasy), K2 (synthetic marijuana), alcohol, etc. Most pre-employment medicals these days are likely to test for alcohol in urine as well as the 6 mandatory drugs.

On the road in Australia the police check saliva for Cannabis, Opiates, Cocaine, Amphetamines, and Methamphetamines.

How long does it take for drugs to get out of your system?

Here is a list of drugs and the time they take to be excreted.

Urine

Cocaine 2-4 days

Cannabis 5-30 days

Methamphetamine 2-3 days

Amphetamine 2-3 days

Opiates 2-4 days

Benzodiazepines 3-7 days

Saliva

Cocaine 12 hours

Cannabis 12 -36 hours

Methamphetamine 12 hours

Amphetamine 12 hours

Opiates 6-12 hours

Benzodiazepines 6 hours

These numbers are subject to a lot of variables from person to person. How quick a drug tends to leave your system depends on many factors such as how fit the person is (usually the more fit, the higher metabolism), how overweight a person is, age, how long they have been using, etc.

Do you need to be certified to be a drug tester in Australia?

Yes. Drug testing qualification is needed for workplace drug and alcohol testers. If a result is challenged, they need to know that everything was performed correctly and to the standard.

Courses are provided with knowledge and skills to be able to undertake the specimen collection process when testing for drugs in the Australian Standard. Training includes legislation and best practice around workplace drug and alcohol testing, the collection of breath, oral and urine fluid samples and the confirmation testing and chain of custody process. Includes a thorough practical component with current industry exposed trainers, assessors and clinicians. Get accredited here

The post Drug Testing Questions and Answers appeared first on OZ Drug Tests.

Some companies have a different approach due to high risk industries such as some aviation jobs, where they will bypass instant drug test kits and go straight to pathology. This way takes a lot longer to get a result but is considered by the courts as the “gold standard” as they use mass spectrometry to analyse samples. This is a very accurate way to analyse a sample of saliva or urine.

Pathology drug test cut off levels

Pathology testing actually use different cut off levels than instant drug test kits. For example, THC is detected in urine at 50ng with an instant drug test, but in the lab the cut off is 15ng. But labs are far more rigorous in breaking down exactly what is within the sample. Here is what they test for and cut off levels of each drug in urine,

Morphine/Codeine – 300ng

MAM (metabolite of heroin) – 10ng

Amphetamines – 150ng

Pseudo/Ephedrine  – 500ng

Phentermine (used medically as an appetite suppressant) – 500ng

THC – 15ng

Cocaine metabolites – 150ng

Benzodiazepines – 200ng

Aminobenzos – 100ng

How Mass Spectrometry works

OK, time to geek out a bit! Mass spectrometry works by pushing the sample through a tubular column via helium gas. Curtain drugs pass through at curtain known speeds. When it gets to the end it is fragmented through ionisation and the fragments are sorted by mass. Now curtain drugs have a known fragmentation patterns, so these two tests together can give pathology a fairly good idea of what chemicals are present… I told you it was a bit geeky!

Order your pathology drug test

When sending a sample (urine, or saliva) to the lab for testing, you need to have all correct collection devices in place to conform to pathology procedures including collection, chain of custody forms, and matching id numbers on forms and collection containers. We can supply you with urine and saliva pathology confirmation kits for one fixed price. All shipping and pathology fees are included.

So, in conclusion we can supply you with pathology tests at a very affordable fee, where that’s all you pay! We’ll take care of all shipping and laboratory costs for you. Just follow the simple instructions included and send it to the laboratory in the free express satchel included.

Saliva Pathology Kit

Urine Pathology Kit

The post Pathology drug testing appeared first on OZ Drug Tests.

Starting a drug testing business (just like any business) will require basic knowledge and experience onsite and will require you to gain accreditation through a NATA registered training provider. Don’t worry, we can put you in touch with these companies and when the next drug test course will be near you. The courses are either face to face, or online with a Skype practical. Courses are held in most major cities and are very frequent.

Drug Testing Training

Here’s what you will learn,
1. Understanding of relevant Australian Standards and Legislation
2. How to perform a Saliva Drug Test
3. How to perform a Urine Drug Test
4. How to perform a Breath Alcohol Test
5. Practical, hands on application of drug and alcohol testing skills
6. Understanding of drug and alcohol testing related issues and how to deal with them (communication, employee reaction, considerations for policy and procedures)

Please contact us here to find out more about drug and alcohol testing courses.

Get out there!

After you have gained certification you may look into asking for work experience with an established drug and alcohol testing company. As in many industries, it’s not enough just to be certified. You need experience in the industry to get your foot in the door first. Once a good relationship has been formed with your peers, you should then think about branching out.

Your next question to ask your self is what market should you serve? Specialising (opposed to generalising) in curtain areas is a good idea. That way you can keep it simple and focus on honing in your one or two specialities. For example, specialising in testing schools, you would become great at talking with kids and young adults about drug and alcohol tests. You would also become great at learning exactly what principals and school managers need to hear to give you the green light!

Research

Do some research before you jump in and start. Maybe write a business plan and put down a projected target for where you’d like to be in 5 years. Targets are a great thing to have on paper, because goal setting can really propel you forward.

The next step will be to buy equipment such as urine, or saliva drug tests and alcohol breathalysers…I know a really good company for this!….

After this you may want to buy liability insurance as sometimes drug tests are contested. This will put your mind at ease and you can focus on building your empire…. in OZ!

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