5-panel Drug Testing

You may need to take a 5-panel drug test if you want to work for an employer that operates a drug-free workplace, as this test can reveal whether you have recently misused a prescription drug or illicit substance.

According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), other reasons to take this test are if you want to participate in an organized sports group, you are part of a police investigation or court case, or you are exhibiting signs of a drug overdose. In addition, some drug and alcohol rehab centers may also ask you to submit to a 5-panel drug test to monitor your treatment progress, adds the NLM.

Your doctor may ask you to take a 5-panel drug test if it is suspected that you are using prescription medication in ways other than for what it was prescribed, reports the NLM. Examples of prescription drug misuse include taking a higher dosage than needed to get high or using a prescription that was written for someone else.

There are several ways to get a 5-panel drug test, including meeting with your primary care doctor or going to a walk-in lab that offers this service. If your employer wants you to take this test, it may refer you to a lab that offers 5-panel drug testing if it wants to hire you or perform random drug testing on its employees.

The NLM says you can also purchase drug tests for at-home use. These tests usually require you to collect a sample of your urine or saliva and send it to a lab where your sample is tested for the presence of drugs. The NLM adds that some at-home drug test kits include the cost of a second lab test. This may be necessary for some instances to check the accuracy of a first test that produces positive results.

Another way to find out how to get a 5-panel drug test is to use Solv. Solv is a directory that allows you to identify labs and clinics in your area that offer the 5-panel drug test. After identifying drug testing providers on Solv, you can contact them for more information regarding what you need to do to get one of these tests.

A 5-panel drug test will screen you for marijuana (THC), cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, and phencyclidine (PCP), reports the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

Amphetamines that are screened during a 5-panel drug test include amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, and MDA. Opioids screened during this drug test include codeine, morphine, heroin, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone, adds the DOT.

Your drug testing provider can confirm the names and types of drugs that are included in a 5-panel drug test before your appointment.

During a 5-panel drug test, you will be asked to provide a small sample of your urine, saliva, blood, hair, or sweat, reports the NLM. Your drug testing provider will tell you more about what to expect from this test based on the methods it uses to collect your sample.

The NLM adds that the most commonly used drug tests require you to provide a urine sample. In many instances, you will be given a small, sterile cup into which you will urinate. Your urine sample is then evaluated onsite or in a lab for the presence of drugs. However, in certain cases, a healthcare worker may need to be present while you provide your urine sample. This is done to ensure your urine sample is yours and not diluted or tampered with in any way.

A blood test for drugs is performed in the same way as a routine blood test for other medical procedures. During a blood test, your testing provider will use a small needle to draw a small amount of blood from a vein in your arm. You may feel a slight sting at the needle injection site, says the NLM. It adds that a blood draw usually takes under five minutes to perform.

Contact your testing provider to learn more about what will happen during a 5-panel drug test, and about the steps you should take to prepare. For example, if you are having a hair test, you may want to refrain from cutting or shaving your hair so you can provide an adequate sample.

Your doctor or the testing provider will most likely contact you with the results of the 5-panel drug test when they are ready.

If your result is negative, it usually means that none of the five drugs that were tested were found in your sample. It could also mean that a very small amount of drugs were in your system, but there wasn’t enough to make your test results come back positive, reports the NLM.

A positive result usually means that one or more drugs were found in your system which indicates you were misusing prescription drugs or using illicit drugs. The NLM says that most positive tests require a follow-up test to rule out false positive results. It adds that follow-up drug tests usually provide more accurate results.