Despite general assumptions revolving around the topic, today’s modern drug testing is not a clear black-or-white examination. While drug test results typically do come back as either negative or positive, there is a definite grey area that makes results difficult to read for ultimate validity. Laboratories can deem the results of drug tests as inherently invalid or inconclusive and demand another sample specimen for fresh screening.
Urine testing is the most commonly used drug screening method currently on the market for employers, government agencies, physician’s offices, and numerous treatment centers or correctional facilities. Nonetheless, this method is not entirely foolproof, as it’s the easiest for donors to tamper with. During laboratory analysis, specimen validity testing ensures the overall validity of the test.
Technicians or medical review officers can designate a sample as invalid when the urine specimen contains either unidentified adulterants, interfering substances, or any abnormal physical characteristics from typical samples. What can cause invalid test results? To reiterate, a variety of reasons may deem test results inconclusive; these could be either from damage, alteration, or interference to the specified collection sample—whether deliberately or accidentally. Here is further information you should know.
Defining Inconclusive Results
Drug testing is a specific, scientific process requiring care and caution for accurate results—and it’s not as easy as it seems. The testing process is far more complicated than one may believe; it’s continually evolving. There is no magic machine that spits out a positive or negative result at the snap of one’s fingers. In actuality, lab technicians must test each substance individually. The chemistry behind the process relies on antibodies or immunoassays as drug tests search for a specific antibody that is a by-product of the use of a specific drug.
For individuals requiring screening, the key to passing a drug test with a negative result is to ensure that the antibodies of illicit substances do not appear within concentrated amounts of a collected sample. Each drug affects the human body differently and leaves the body at diverse rates of time. Modern methods to beat tests include waiting it out, switching out or substituting the sample, or diluting the sample with additives. Those who try to cheat the test with tampering or adulterants commonly cause invalid results.
Positive Results Versus Invalid Results
Invalid test results are not one and the same as positive test results. When a reliable lab cannot determine if a result is positive or negative, then technicians mark the test as inconclusive, as they cannot obtain a valid drug test result. The value and usefulness of the drug testing process are dependent on the accuracy of assessment and interpretation.
Again, since drug testing is an objective scientific regime, guesswork isn’t involved. Experts in the laboratory would rather rule on the invalidity of a result than assume the wrong conclusion. Interpretation involves balancing a wide array of individual factors. After labs rule a test sample invalid, a variety of procedures may occur according to the situation at hand.
The Process of Ruling Invalid Results
Invalid drug test results are from samples that fail validity tests for an unknown cause. A lab may be unable to determine what the interference is and cannot confirm tampering. Labs that report invalid results to a medical review officer cause a murky investigation situation. Oftentimes, the recommended procedure is for the medical review officer (MRO) to follow up with the donor for any medical explanation, such as specific conditions or medications. These individuals must interpret the invalid test results within the context of alternative explanations.
If no legitimate explanation exists, the MRO calls for direct observation collection for re-testing with a new sample. Generally, medical review officers will call for a fair re-test since an invalid sample could have been purposely tampered with or caused by biological causes or excessive dilution. Inconclusive results are frequently a mistake by part of the test participant or an inability to produce a valid test result because of a medical situation.
If donors cannot provide an acceptable explanation outside of their situation, they undergo a second collection under direct observation as soon as possible. More often than not, retaken tests offer normal results for a definitive answer. Situations where drug testing samples are purposely messed with, however, are a different story. Let’s examine closer what else can cause invalid drug test results for clarity of understanding.
Common Causes: Internal or External Adulterations
When samples cannot be tested for a clear result, they may produce evidence of a chemical additive or interfering substance. Out of all the forms of drug test tampering, donors use adulteration the most. Adulterants are fundamentally anything that can alter or transform a sample for drug testing. They pose a challenge for test validity and identifying accurate results.
Internal adulteration generally causes specimen dilution, which increases urine volume to lower the concentration of detectable illicit drugs. With validity checks, labs can detect either pre-collection or post-collection dilution.
External adulterations occur during the collection process when participants add a specific substance to their urine to disrupt the test. Because a slew of chemical agents or substances is available for use, donors can easily add them to their sample cups during a non-direct observation collection. These additives interfere with analytical chemistry screening by technicians.
Accurate Drug Testing Products for Validity
Drug testing is certainly a complicated process of business. Companies or organizations that have drug testing programs and policies in place must decide the best course of action for the results of drug screenings and whether they are positive, inconclusive, or invalid.
For quality products from top-notch drug test manufacturers, you can turn to American Screening Corp. We offer a wide array of drug screening products. As leading distributors, our company stands apart from others with our personal customer service. Whatever your specific drug testing needs are, we’ve got you covered as partners and advisors to meet your screening requirements as our clients.
In every industry we serve, our number one goal is to supply customers with products that will provide the answers they need with speed and precision. Contact us with any questions about our high-quality testing products or bulk pricing options for your facility. We’re always here to help.
