A drug test looks for the presence of one or more illegal or prescription drugs in your urine, blood, saliva, hair, or sweat. Urine testing is the most common type of drug screening. The drugs most often tested for include:

• Marijuana
• Opioids, such as heroin, codeine, oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, and fentanyl
• Amphetamines, including methamphetamine
• Cocaine
• Steroids
• Barbiturates, such as phenobarbital and secobarbital
• Phencyclidine (PCP)

Other names: drug screen, drug test, drugs of abuse testing, substance abuse testing, toxicology screen, tox screen, sports doping tests.

Drug screening is used to find out whether or not a person has taken a certain drug or drugs. It may be used for:

• Employment. Employers may test you before hiring and/or after hiring to check for on-the-job drug use.
• Sports organizations. Professional and collegiate athletes usually need to take a test for performance-enhancing drugs or other substances.
• Legal or forensic purposes. Testing may be part of a criminal or motor vehicle accident investigation. Drug screening may also be ordered as part of a court case.
• Monitoring opioid use. If you've been prescribed an opioid for chronic pain, your health care provider may order a drug test to make sure you are taking the right amount of your medicine.

You may have to take a drug test as a condition of your employment, in order to participate in organized sports, or as part of a police investigation or court case. Your health care provider may order drug screening if you have symptoms of drug abuse. These symptoms include:

• Slowed or slurred speech
• Dilated or small pupils
• Agitation
• Panic
• Paranoia
• Delirium
• Difficulty breathing
• Nausea
• Changes in blood pressure or heart rhythm

A drug test generally requires that you give a urine sample in a lab. You will be given instructions to provide a "clean catch" sample. The clean catch method includes the following steps:

1. Wash your hands
2. Clean your genital area with a cleansing pad given to you by your provider. Men should wipe the tip of their penis. Women should open their labia and clean from front to back.
3. Start to urinate into the toilet.
4. Move the collection container under your urine stream.
5. Collect at least an ounce or two of urine into the container, which should have markings to indicate the amounts.
6. Finish urinating into the toilet.
7. Return the sample container to the lab technician or health care provider.

In certain instances, a medical technician or other staff member may need to be present while you provide your sample.

For a blood test for drugs, you will go to a lab to provide your sample. During the test, a health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.

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8. National Institute on Drug Abuse [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Resource Guide: Screening for Drug Use in General Medical Settings [updated 2012 Mar; cited 2017 Apr 18]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/resource-guide/biological-specimen-testing
9. Northwest Community Healthcare [Internet]. Northwest Community Healthcare; c2015. Health Library: Urine drug screen [cited 2017 Apr 18]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: http://nch.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=117&isArticleLink=false&pid=1&gid=003364
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