Urine drug confirmations have quickly become the cheapest and most relied upon variety of drug testing in the health care world. These tests do not come without issues. In order to combat many of these issues, practices are relying more frequently on outsourcing their urine samples to other labs. Here are just a few of these potential issues, and possible means of counteracting them.
Difficulty Obtaining Sample
Depending on the situation and state of the patient, it may be difficult to obtain a urine sample upon demand. While hair and saliva are always present, a patient may not be able to void at the drop of a hat. Likewise, some patients may be physically unable to urinate do to illness, pain, or other bodily issues.
Catheters have often been used in instances where a patient cannot void, but a urine drug test is vital to diagnosis.
Storage
Due to the temperamental nature of urine, the samples must be stored safely and securely. Improper storage may result in invalidation of the test or an unstable sample.
Many health care professionals have decided to outsource their urine drug tests when storage becomes an issue. These external labs focus on prime care of specimens, delivering the results of the test in a timely manner.
Tampering
Urine samples must be taken by a patient in private, but this gives the patient an opportunity to dilute, substitute, or tamper with the urine. Many patients may be nervous or unsure about their test results, and many test results may effect their potential or current employment – thus, patients may try everything they can to pass a drug test.
This remains the biggest issue with urine drug tests. Thankfully, advances in testing have made it possible to notice traces of foreign bodies in the samples. Differences in temperature between the patient and the sample are the largest indicator.