Why is it important to have employees to get drug tested?

Drug and alcohol testing in the workplace is first and foremost about safety. It is a way to protect everyone’s right to a safe working environment and is especially important in high-risk environments.

With a drug and alcohol free work environment, you’re likely to have,

Less absenteeism
Employees that take days off work affect the workplace immensely. Especially to other employees who might have to work extra hours to cover the increased workload.

Less employee turnover
Think about the hiring process. The amount of hours that a business spends on finding the right employee is huge! Like advertising, medicals, training etc.

More thankful employees
A business that shows dedication towards safety is always looked upon with respect to employees who are doing the right thing. It shows that the business cares about their safety.

Reduce Health Insurance Cost

Drug users and abusers incur higher medical costs because they are more likely to have accidents and need workers compensation which in turn increases health insurance.

A drug and alcohol free work environment has less frequent health insurance claims.

Workers compensation is never a positive ending for an employer and employee. It drives up insurance costs for the company, and the employee suffers from a tarnished health record for possible future employment.

Reduce Recruitment Costs

Recruitment costs are always huge. Plus the business has to spend money and hours into training and getting new employees up to speed.

A drug free workplace has a higher employee retention rate as people are happier… and busier.

Drug abusers tend to change jobs frequently according to a study the SAMHSA. Drug abusers on average can change jobs 3 times a year.

Your best workers could potentially leave from not putting up with decreased moral and an increased dangerous work environment.

Improve Business Reputation

Imagine your business on the news about drugs or alcohol, or even being raided for drug possession! It wouldn’t matter if your management knew about the issue beforehand, your business would be blamed in the eye of the public.

By promoting a safer and healthier workplace to the public, you’re increasing the image that your company cares about its employees safety and performs all necessary steps to keep drugs and alcohol out of the workplace.

Educate Employees About The Danger Of Drugs

Educating your employees about the dangers of drugs or alcohol sends a positive message that your company cares about them. 

Drug testing can reinforce that drugs can lead to serious repercussions, like addiction, family and relationship troubles, employment issues etc.

Increasing the awareness of drugs and alcohol and the danger that stems from these bad choices will ultimately be a good thing.

Is it legal for employees to get tested 

Any business can conduct workplace drug and alcohol testing in Australia. For some industries, such as mining, construction, aviation, testing is regulated to ensure a safer working environment.

What are some statistics on drug abuse at workplace

These figures come from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Alcohol and Drug Foundation and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Improve Your Workplace Safety Today!

If you need help with where to start with drug and alcohol testing, please contact us here, or go to https://ozdrugtesting.com.au/shop/ to see our comprehensive store.

The post How Can Drug Testing Benefit The Workplace? appeared first on OZ Drug Tests.

Most CBD oils will contain a very small amount of THC… 0.3% to be precise. This is an extremely low amount of THC. But, is it possible to test positive to THC on a saliva drug test?

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is taken from the cannabis plant and is used for,

• Pain relief
• Depression disorders
• Alleviate cancer related symptoms
• Arthritis
• Joint pain
• Sleep disorders
• Headaches
• Migraines
• Lung conditions
• Parkinsons
• Epilepsy

Cannabis has a psychoactive chemical called delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC creates a high when introduced into the body. CBD is also taken from the cannabis plant, but is not psychoactive and hence will not create a high feeling when ingested.

The reason CBD oil has a tiny amount of THC is because it is produced from the hemp plant. Full spectrum CBD oil has 0.3% of THC. Any more THC than that, the USA government (United states drug enforcement agency) DEA will list them as a schedule 1 drug and deem them illegal.

But…will 0.3% THC show up on a drug test?

Here in Australia, police drug test people on the roadside with saliva drug tests. The brand in which they use is called the “drug wipe”. The drug wipe will detect Delta9THC, which is the parent drug of marijuana. The drug wipe will detect delta9THC at the very low cut-off level of 5ng/ml, which is equivalent to one teaspoon in an olympic size swimming pool!

I wanted to test the presence of THC myself because we couldn’t find any studies on this subject, so we purchased some CBD oil locally in Australia. The full spectrum extract product arrived and I put 4 drops of CBD oil under my tongue and waited for 30 seconds before swallowing.

At the 10 minute mark I tested myself with the Drager 3000 Drugcheck saliva test, which will detect delta9THC at 15ng or above (as per the Australian standard AS4760). The results were negative for THC as there is a clear line on every drug class…see below.

I tested myself again in an hour after consuming the CBD oil, and that test was negative too.

Will a police drug test pick up THC in CBD oil?

They say the cut-off level for delta9THC is 5ng/ml or above. This means I really should test myself with the same product the police use. So we bought some drug wipes for $57 each!

I took the CBD again and tested myself at the 10 minute mark, and the result was a clear negative. Then again at 1 hour and found it was negative again!

The drup wipe is different to every other drug test, in that the lines will appear in the test region when a drug is present. All other drug tests are opposite, meaning lines will not appear in the test regions when a drug is present, and lines will appear when drugs are not found.

So there you have it! I was clear for THC on the police drug test at 10 minutes and 60 minutes using full spectrum CBD oil with 0.3%THC. This is the most sensitive drug test in Australia for THC, so if I can pass on this drug test kit, I will pass any other drug test kit, like the kits used in workplaces.

This doesn’t mean that everyone is clear to drive on CBD oil. Other than this experiment having a sample size of 1 person(me), it is a totally unregulated industry in Australia. Some CBD oils will contain more THC than others, which may trigger the THC strip on a roadside drug test. So be careful when driving in Australia.

Will CBD show up on a urine drug test?

Urine tests detect a THC metabolite called THC-COOH which is found in urine within hours of exposure. This metabolite could remain present for longer than 30 days after an everyday user of THC stops. This is because THC is fat soluble. THC attaches itself to fat cells and can be very difficult to excrete in urine. 

Full spectrum CBD oil will have around 0.3% THC which is a very small amount. 

When you get a drug test they normally use a urine or blood sample and check for the presence of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) THC-COOH, and THC-11-oic acid are formed in the liver after the body has consumed cannabis. It is these chemicals that are tested when you go for a blood or urine test. THC-COOH doesn’t have much cross reactivity to the other non psychoactive cannabinoids such as CBD (cannabidiol), CBD (cannabigerol) or CBN (cannabinol), which means if you have taken CBD oil you probably won’t get a positive result on any drug test. Theoretically it is possible if you are taking very large doses of CBD oil (above 1000-2000mg per day) due to the minute traces of THC that could build up over time.

Due to differing body weight, metabolic rate and other lifestyle factors it’s possible that CBD oil containing as little 0.3% THC could show up in urinalysis.

To finalise this article I wanted to do one last experiment. I wanted to know this for myself, so I have been taking about 5 drops of full spectrum CBD oil everyday for about 2 weeks now. I have tested my urine sample on the THC 50ng/ml strip which is the AS4308 standard cut off level for on-site testing in Australia, and it’s a clear negative result (test kit on the left).

I have also used a THC drug test (on the right) that detects THC at 5 different levels. The lowest cut off level is 18ng/ml, and you can see a very faint line on that (far left) strip, so that would be a negative result also. This strip is very faint which may suggest the THC would be very close to this 18ng/ml cut off level. 

So there you have it, I have passed both saliva and urine drug tests for THC whilst taking full spectrum CBD oil. This is not to say that everyone will pass a saliva or urine test. There are too many variables to list, such as a person’s metabolic rate, amount of CBD taken, amount of THC in the CBD oil (from a backyard supplier), etc.

If you have any questions about this article, please feel free to contact me at dave@ozdrugtests.com.au and I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.

This does not constitute legal advice. We do not endorse the use of CBD oils or the use of THC without lawful prescription. The advice and examples given here are only for education purposes. Please talk to your doctor if you’re interested in using CBD oils.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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This is the most common question we receive. The colour, or density of the line have no meaning on the drug test. This answer was backed up by our manufacturing engineers.

As you can see by the picture A below, there are variations in line densities. This does NOT mean that there could be traces of the drug in lighter lines.

Picture B has a non-negative result for AMP Amphetamines as there is no line at all, and must be confirmed either positive, or negative by pathology.

A

B

Urine drug tests will not tell you how much drugs are within a sample (like a breathalyser), rather if above, or below a cut off point. eg marijuana has a cut off point of 50ng/ml. The test will only show negative, or non-negative either side of this point.

Drug tests cannot measure in a quantitative measurement. They really just give you a yes, or no answer.

If you have a non-negative result on a drug test, it will need to be confirmed positive in an accredited lab. We can help you with this. Please ask us how by contacting us here

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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.

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