For years, the quickest way to get that all important instant drug test result has been either urine or saliva test kits. Many people across every industry rely on the ability to get a fast and accurate indication on the spot if someone is under the influence in order to catch potential drug use in the moment, rather than retrospectively. This is key for the safety of their staff and customers, as well as to provide the information they need to make an informed next step.
Whilst both urine and saliva provide great options for instant testing, they also have their draw backs. For example, when carrying out urine testing, in order to ensure the result is accurate and defensible it involves many checks to prevent the tampering of a sample which makes the sampling processes much longer. It can feel invasive for the participant and has hygiene risks, as well as a longer detection period which might bring back a non-negative result, even though the person is not currently under the influence. Saliva is a convenient alternative, again its hygiene risks during the hight of COVID meant that many people where no longer able to use these tests for risk of cross contamination.
At DNA Workplace, we want to offer the best solutions and provide alternatives as new cutting edge technology enters the market, and so we don’t just offer urine and saliva as instant testing options. Fingerprint testing is a new instant and back to lab alternative which is faster, safer, non-invasive, and more hygienic. It is an incredibly simple testing solution which utilises a single use cartridge and base machine, which can either be provided along with a fully trained collector to perform the tests on your behalf, or DNA Workplace can provide a full training package along with the complete kit so that the ease of testing is in your hands.
The portability of the lightweight testing equipment makes it incredibly versatile, it can be used anywhere and there’s no special requirements for a sample collection space, so it’s ideal for random or for-cause testing any time it is required. The actual collection of the sample can be completed in under a minuet and results are available in 10 minuets, and each cartridge comes in a sealed foil package and has a tamper evident cover to prevent any interference with a sample. There is also the equally simple back to lab test kit when a non-negative result needs to be confirmed.
The testing window is small, detecting drugs taken up to 24 hours prior to the test, which many people find supportive for checking in the moment drug use and influence. For workplaces which do not have a zero tolerance drug use policy in and outside of the workplace, these tests provide the capacity to ensure that staff are clear and ready for work, without interfering with their personal life choices outside of the workplace. There are two instant testing panel options – the DSC 5-Plus detects opiates, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis and the DSC 8-Plus detects opiates, methadone, benzodiazepines and buprenorphine. The technology used in the tests has been fully validated and the manufactures have ISO 13485 Medical Devices quality accreditation.
So how does the test actually work? The participant providing the sample simply presses each finger to the collection window on the cassette, which collects the sweat on their skin and in turn, any drugs which are being removed from the body via perspiration. This cannot be interfered with by washing your hands, in fact the participant will be asked to do just that before providing the sample, and it will also not be affected if they have physically had contact with a drug but not ingested it, such as touching a surface which contains traces of cocaine. The cartridge works almost like a pregnancy or COVID rapid test, using lateral flow technology to detect drugs and their metabolites in the sweat collected. The cassette is then inserted into the machine for 10 minutes before providing a result which can be printed for easy record keeping.
In the long run, the tests also work out to be very cost effective, especially if you choose to train your own staff and carry out the tests yourself – the lack of specialist equipment and the ease of testing with no biohazardous waste makes the running costs very low.
When you next need to perform a random or for cause drug test, speak to DNA Workplace about how we can support you to upgrading your testing and provide the best quality test for the best quality working environment.