As Corporate America continues to make the workplace a safer and more productive environment through established drug testing programs and policies, another struggle is taking place. Drug users, pursuing ways to avoid drug detection while applying for new employment, attempt to conceal drug activity. There are widespread stories about the effects of herbal teas, diets, diuretics, and the consumption of large quantities of water on drug screens. There is also a new wave of substances, which are placed into the urine container by the donor at the time of collection, to mask the presence of drugs or adulterate the sample.

This is the newest and most difficult challenge to workplace drug testing programs. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated is proud to announce TestSure™, state-of-the-art tests designed to detect adulterants and give you the best information from which to make informed personnel decisions.

Urine comes in many varieties, and has certain characteristics that are measurable by the laboratory. Looking at the sample as primarily water with some ingredients, Quest Diagnostics can measure differences in the ingredients (some of which occur naturally) and decide whether the specimen is a normal urine sample. Differences can occur in color, odor, pH, creatinine and specific gravity. Tests for creatinine and specific gravity are useful in detecting water hydration and the use of diuretics, which cause a dilution of drugs that may be present in the sample. Hydration may lower the concentration of the drug below the reportable cutoff, and as a consequence, a sample containing a drug may appear negative.  Another characteristic of urine is the pH which measures how acidic or basic the urine is. An abnormal pH may interfere with the testing process.

The most recent trend in drug testing involves the addition of substances to the urine sample at the time of collection by the donor. Some of the most commonly used substances are: water, bleach, acids, bases, soap, and the newest one on the block, nitrite. Quest Diagnostics has developed a testing protocol that forensically identifies nitrite adulteration of the urine sample. This represents a breakthrough in technology for the industry. Quest Diagnostics can provide its customers with the highly accurate information needed to make the proper decision about prospective hiring, and also in the evaluation of random and post accident drug testing results.

Occasionally some urine samples are not testable by the routine screening method. This may be due to the presence of prescribed medications that interfere with the screening test. In these situations, with TestSure™, an alternate screening method is used to perform the test.

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Quest Diagnostics has made a commitment to its clients—to be the leader in adulterant testing. Implementation of the first phase of TestSure™, and continuing research and development of additional tests to detect adulteration in the future, can assure Quest Diagnostics customers that we are serious about keeping the workplace safe. As new adulterants are marketed, Quest Diagnostics will continue to develop reliable and specific indicators of the integrity of the urine sample for its clients through TestSure™.  Effective immediately, TestSure™ will consist of testing for nitrite, pH, creatinine, and specific gravity where indicated, and alternate screening technology where  indicated, of every sample. TestSure™ will report the results to you, to assist you in making informed decisions about the drug test result, and to assist you in developing a comprehensive policy for your company.