As an employer, you need to be fully informed when making hiring decisions. This includes pre-employment drug testing. Whether you choose to screen potential employees for all positions or only those that involve operating vehicles and machinery, there are options to consider. Here are the types of drug screens available to you.

Drug Testing Options

1. Urine 

A urine test is the most common way to screen applicants for drugs during the hiring process. This test looks for metabolites in a sample of urine. These metabolites are residues that remain in a person's body after fairly recent drug use. Since metabolites can remain present days or even weeks after use, a urine test is not effective for determining whether a person is currently under the influence of substances. One major weakness of this method is the ability of a subject to substitute synthetic urine for their own. 

2. Hair 

Hair testing is less commonly used and can detect drug metabolites from use up to three months before the test is taken. This makes it a good method for identifying chronic use or abuse of substances.

One tester-collected sample of hair can potentially reveal when a drug was used, how long it was repeatedly used for, and if or when use was discontinued. There is no way to cheat a hair test, since hair can't be diluted or substituted.

3. Saliva

Saliva tests are popular due to their low cost and ease of collection. A simple cheek swab is all that is required. Similarly to the hair test, the sample is collected by a professional tester. This makes cheating by any means nearly impossible. Saliva only detects substances that have been used within the previous 48 hours, which is sufficient for most employment purposes. 

If you're hiring for a role that requires drug testing, you can count on Affinity Industrial Medicine in Monroe, LA. This trusted occupational medical clinic offers over 60 years of industry experience, which translates to quick and accurate drug testing that accelerates the hiring process. Visit their website or call (318) 812-7559 to learn more about their services.