{"id":15543,"date":"2019-08-16T19:51:04","date_gmt":"2019-08-16T19:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https://medartslab.com/?p=15543"},"modified":"2019-08-16T19:51:04","modified_gmt":"2019-08-16T19:51:04","slug":"blood-drug-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://medartslab.com/blood-drug-test/","title":{"rendered":"Are Blood-based Drug Tests Accurate?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drug testing is often a requirement by many employers during the hiring process, and all employers can subject employees to drug tests at different times\u2014sometimes with just cause and sometimes completely by random, depending on state and federal laws. The most common forms of drug testing are typically urinalysis, followed by saliva tests. However, an employer may select a blood-based drug test for a number of reasons. Let\u2019s take a look at why some companies require a <\/span><a href=\"https://medartslab.com/what-to-expect-during-a-blood-exam/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">blood test<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for drug testing, which drugs can be tested for with a blood test, and if there is any possibility for a false positive result.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Why Do Some Companies Require Blood Tests for Drugs?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many reasons an employer might require a blood-based <\/span><a href=\"https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-are-blood-drug-tests-for-employment-2060402\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drug test<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. For drug abuse testing in general, employers could potentially test in order to:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minimize the potential of hiring new employees who use illegal drugs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prevent compromises to safety and employee productivity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assist employees who have a drug abuse problem in finding treatment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid any legal claims that could arise from employee impairment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meet state and federal regulations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>What Drugs Are Tested, and How Long Do They Last in Your Blood?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><a href=\"https://addictionresource.com/drug-testing/blood-drug-testing/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">blood drug test<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the most accurate way to detect the presence of drugs and alcohol in a person\u2019s blood at the time the blood sample is drawn. The difference between a urinalysis test and a blood test is that urinalysis screens for metabolites (or the products your body creates after breaking down a drug), while a blood-based drug test screens only for the drug itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blood-based drug tests are very time-sensitive. Most drugs can only be detected up to a few hours, although some can last a few days in your blood. The most common drugs that are tested with a blood test and their detection time range include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amphetamines \u2014 10-14 hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Barbiturates \u2014 1-2 days<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benzodiazepines \u2014 6-48 hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cannabis and Marijuana \u2014 6-24 hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cocaine \u2014 12-24 hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Codeine \u2014 6-12 hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cotinine (nicotine metabolite) \u2014 12-48 hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LSD \u2014 0-3 hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Methamphetamine \u2014 24 hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PCP \u2014 12-24 hours<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other drugs that can be screened include alcohol and opiates.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Can False Positives Occur?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blood-based drug tests are the most accurate tests for detecting the presence of drugs in a person\u2019s bloodstream, and it is virtually impossible to fake a passing result with them. However, while rare, false positive results can occur. A false positive result for a blood drug test can occur as a result of over-the-counter or prescription medications, depending on how they interact with other substances in the body.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should always provide an accurate and full list of all medications you have recently used before the blood drug test. Medications should include prescription, over-the-counter and herbal medications. This will help provide information in case a false positive occurs. For example, a decongestant containing ephedrine can potentially cause a false positive result for amphetamines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good news is that if a false positive occurs, a second test can almost always provide a more accurate result to test negative for drugs.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Get Quick, Accurate Drug Testing Results<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the accuracy of blood-based drug tests can\u2019t be beat, many employers opt instead for urinalysis tests due to their quick turnaround results and the ability to detect metabolites long after a drug is no longer present or can be detected in the bloodstream. Regardless of your employer\u2019s choice or your preference as the employer, trust <\/span><a href=\"https://medartslab.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medical Arts Laboratory<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for all of your drug testing needs. Our wide range of blood testing <\/span><a href=\"https://medartslab.com/services/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">services<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have served Central Florida for over 20 years. <\/span><a href=\"https://medartslab.com/contact-us/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to learn more and schedule your appointment!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Drug testing is often a requirement by many employers during the hiring process, and all employers can subject employees to drug tests at different times\u2014sometimes with just cause and sometimes completely by random, depending on state and federal laws. The most common forms of drug&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[81],"tags":[98,99,100,91,101,102,97,104,105,106,103,107,108,109,110,111],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.4 - https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo/ -->\n<title>Are Blood-based Drug Tests Accurate? | Medical Arts Laboratory - Florida Blood Lab | Blood Draw &amp; Test<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We a look at why some companies require a blood test for drug testing, which drugs can be tested for with a blood test, and is false positives are possible.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https://medartslab.com/blood-drug-test/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Are Blood-based Drug Tests Accurate? 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