Oral Fluid (“Swab”) Drug Testing

• Cut-off levels – the express oral fluid (POCT) devices commercially available today have not been able to achieve cut-off levels that align with the levels established by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 
• Not Legally Defensible – express oral fluid testing has not been utilized for long within Canadian safety-sensitive fields, and thus there is a lack of case law supporting its use.  
• Not Industry Accepted – express oral fluid drug testing is not accepted under the Canadian Model for Providing a Safe Workplace, however, lab-based oral fluid drug testing is accepted by the Canadian Model in some situations (post-incident and reasonable cause). Express oral fluid testing is not accepted by most contactors in Canadian safety-sensitive fields (energy, construction, transportation, etc.), however, lab-based oral fluid testing is starting to be accepted by some.

10 panel express oral fluid drug screens (POCT) are available. Lab-based oral fluid testing is also available in a variety of panels including 7, 8, 10, 12, and 14. 

All oral fluid drug collections are completed by certified drug test collectors. 

Our result-reporting turnaround times are exemplary, with drug screen (POCT) results reported within one hour of completion. Lab-based negative drug test results are typically reported the next business day, while lab-based positive drug test results will be reported within 2-5 business days of the sample’s arrival at the laboratory.