DOA Comparison Testing & Lab Technologies

Types of Diagnostic Testing Samples

Blood and Breath Tests

Used to detect current intoxication at the time that the sample is collected. The sample is tested for the actual drug in question.

Urine, Hair and Sweat Tests

Used to detect drug use in the recent past. The sample is tested for the presence of chemical metabolites left over after the drug has been eliminated from the body.

Comparison of Testing Technologies

Testing Technology	How Technology Works	Advantages	Disadvantages
Immunoassay Tests	Color change after reaction to drug metabolite	Low cost, easy to administer, widely accepted for screening ‘negative’ results	Other chemicals may produce ‘false positives’ on either lab screens or on-site screens. Chemical masking agents may reduce accuracy if no adulteration testing is done.
Thin Layer Chromatography	Color separation of chemical components; capillary action establishes a distinctive pattern for each drug.	Low cost, easy to administer, test for multiple drugs	Other chemicals may produce ‘false positives’, low accuracy may produce ‘false negatives’, chemical masking agents may reduce accuracy and minimize chance of detection.
Gas Chromatograph/ Mass Spectrometer(GC/MS)	High-tech analysis of chemical structures	Very accurate, can detect all drugs and masking agents; when performed correctly there is no chance of a confirmed false positive	High cost, takes longer for results, requires highly trained staff and sophisticated laboratory. Should always be used to confirm any suspected “positive” screened result using other technologies.

Immunoassay Tests

How Technology Works	Color change after reaction to drug metabolite.
Advantages	Low cost, easy to administer, widely accepted for screening ‘negative’ results
Disadvantages	Other chemicals may produce ‘false positives’ on either lab screens or on-site screens. Chemical masking agents may reduce accuracy if no adulteration testing is done.

Thin Layer Chromatography

How Technology Works	Color separation of chemical components; capillary action establishes a distinctive pattern for each drug.
Advantages	Low cost, easy to administer, test for multiple drugs.
Disadvantages	Other chemicals may produce ‘false positives’, low accuracy may produce ‘false negatives’, chemical masking agents may reduce accuracy and minimize chance of detection.

Gas Chromatograph/ Mass Spectrometer(GC/MS)

How Technology Works	High-tech analysis of chemical structures.
Advantages	Very accurate, can detect all drugs and masking agents; when performed correctly there is no chance of a confirmed false positive.
Disadvantages	High cost, takes longer for results, requires highly trained staff and sophisticated laboratory. Should always be used to confirm any suspected “positive” screened result using other technologies.

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