What Is on a 10 Panel Drug Test?
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Originally Posted On: https://drugtestkitusa.com/blog/what-is-on-a-10-panel-drug-test
What Is on a 10 Panel Drug Test?
The 10 Panel Drug Test is gaining popularity. Find out what is on a 10 Panel Drug Test, and learn about accuracy, workplace testing and more.
A 10-panel drug test utilizes urine analysis to determine if drugs are present in a person’s body. The test uses a combination of enzymes, antibodies, and immunoassay techniques that target drugs and/or their metabolites in urine specimens. Furthermore, it provides accurate and reliable results. A description of 10-panel drug tests and how they work follow.
What Is Tested in 10-Panel Drug Test?
The 10-Panel drug test is a comprehensive drug testing device that screens for prescription drugs and illicit drugs. It is one of the most common screening tools used at workplaces for random and pre-employment drug testing. The test is based on World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines and are designed to detect the most abused substances. 12-panel drug tests are gaining popularity as well.
The 10-panel drug test screens for the following ten controlled substances:
⓵ Amphetamines, including:
- amphetamine sulfate (speed, whizz, gooey)
- dexamphetamine and other drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy (Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvanse, Focalin, Concerta)
⓶ Cannabis, including:
- marijuana (weed, dope, pot, grass, ganja)
- hashish and hashish oil (hash)
⓷ Cocaine, including:
- cocaine (coke, powder, snow, blow)
- crack cocaine (candy, rocks, hard rock)
⓸ Opiates, including:
- heroin (smack, junk, brown sugar, dope, hero)
- opium (big O, O, Chinese tobacco)
- codeine
- morphine (morph, morpho, dreamer)
⓹ Barbiturates, including:
- amobarbital
- pentobarbital
- phenobarbital
- secobarbital
⓺ Benzodiazepines, including:
- lorazepam (Ativan)
- chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
- alprazolam (Xanax)
- diazepam (Valium)
⓻ Methadone (Methadose, Dolphine)
⓼ Methamphetamine (crystal, crystal meth, crank, ice, meth, speed, Tina, tweek)
⓽ Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet)
⓾ Phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust)
Need For Drug Tests at the Workplace
Before discussing how the 10-panel drug test works, it is useful to understand the importance of drug testing in the workplace. A study published in Science Direct stated that there is a definite decline in workplace injuries in offices where drug testing is in operation. A 59% drop in accidents was reported for workers who boarded trains and optimal frequency of drug tests prevented 85% of accidents in white collar workers. This research study also indicated a net savings of 15:1 for offices that conducted drug tests.
Companies are continuing to invest in employee drug testing. Since the last survey by The American Medical Association, there has been a 300% growth in the number of drug tests conducted across the USA. Initial testing with onsite drug tests is gaining more popularity as compared to sending samples immediately to the lab for analysis. The company needs and goals factor into this decision due to cost, efficiency and convenience of onsite rapid tests.
Benefits of Drug Testing
Understanding the importance of drug testing programs will help prevent employee drug use and benefit the business in many ways such as:
- Reduce workers’ health insurance claim costs
- Reduce employee absenteeism
- Increase productivity
- Create a safer workplace
- Decrease theft and sabotage
- Improve job morale and well-being of workers
In a medical review including 23 research studies, 6 research studies proved the effectiveness of drug testing in reducing employee drug use. 17 other studies reported a decrease in occupational injuries due to low drug use in work settings with a drug-free work policy. Another pre-employment study by American Psychological Association indicated that after 1.3 years of job tenure, the employees who had a positive pre-employment drug test had a 59.3% greater absenteeism rate than those who tested negative.
Drug testing not only helps to maintain a drug-free workplace, but it also plays an important role in rehabilitation programs for employees suffering from addiction. According to a study based on substance abuse treatment in Ohio, the following results were found:
- 91% decrease in absenteeism
- 88% decrease in problems with supervisors
- 93% decrease in mistakes at work
- 97% decrease in on-the-job injuries
How Does a 10-Panel Drug Test Work?
First, urine samples are collected from employees by designated trained collectors. An easy-to-use drug test kit (usually in a cup format) is run at the workplace to identify prescription or street drugs of abuse and/or their metabolites.
The 10-panel drug test works by analyzing urine samples for traces of cocaine, methamphetamines, and marijuana (cannabis) drugs and/or their metabolites.
While some drugs pass through the body via the urine unchanged, other are metabolized by the liver before being excreted by the body. For example, cocaine is broken down into compounds called benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester (EME). Methamphetamine breaks down into methamphetamine and N-methylglutamine (NMG), while marijuana breaks down into tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinol (CBN). Even though a 10-panel drug test detects drugs and their metabolites effectively, it is important to understand that the time window for the detection of different drugs and their metabolites is different.
Results of a 10-Panel Drug Test
There may be three outcomes of a 10-panel drug test:
- A presumed positive result means one or more panel drugs were detected by the drug test. In case of a presumed positive (or non-negative) result, the sample is then sent to a SAMHSA-certified laboratory for testing using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for quantitative analysis. Finally, laboratory data is sent to a licensed medical review officer (MRO) to interpret the results.
- A negative result indicates no panel drug is detected by the drug test.
- An inconclusive or invalid result means the test wasn’t successful in checking for panel drugs and needs to be repeated.
Accuracy of a 10-Panel Drug Test
A 10 Panel Drug Test is an accurate and reliable screen for many drugs.
The accuracy of a any drug test depends on many factors including:
- How many drugs a person has been using?
- How long has he been using it?
- The duration between drug intake and the drug test
- Metabolic rate (how fast your body processes drugs)
- Body weight
The test is not only inexpensive but efficient. The results are available in minutes and the procedure is easy to follow.
5-Panel Drug Test vs 10-Panel Drug Test
A 10-panel drug test is a more comprehensive way to screen for the presence of prescription drugs and illegal drugs. It’s not as common as the 5-panel drug test, but it is more thorough and can include more tests. More importantly, the 10-panel helps identify the drugs in the World Health Organization’s list of controlled substances.
Conclusion
Drug and alcohol use has caused a lot of problems in the workplace, so employers need to understand the importance of drug tests. A 10-panel drug test can help employers gain the knowledge they require to make hiring, firing, or promotion decisions. Drug tests with higher panel counts are available also. Of course, a formal workplace drug testing program should be established with the assistance of a legal specialist.
DrugTestKitUSA provides a wide variety of on-site drug test kits for businesses across America according to their needs and requirements. We provide fast, easy-to-operate, and up to 99% accurate drug test kits with affordable pricing and packages.
View the drug test cups with the configuration discussed in this article: