Toxicology Testing, also known as drug testing, checks for prescription medicines, non-prescription medications, alcohol, illegal drugs, and other chemicals using urine samples. Drugs can be swallowed, inhaled, injected, or absorbed through the skin or mucous membrane, and urine drug tests are a useful, non-invasive, and objective way to determine the absence of prescribed medications and/or the use of illicit drugs or nonprescribed medications in your patient.
Toxicology Testing
Toxicology Testing
Drug Testing Benefits
At Nexsun Labs, our toxicology tests help provide insight into the use and misuse of prescription medications, the detection of illicit substances, drug dependency, acute drug toxicity, and compliance.
Our reports go beyond the industry standard and contain comprehensive explanations of the patient’s test results including:
Nexsun Labs Toxicology Testing Benefits
Our Urine Drug Tests
| Drug Screen (15 Drugs/ Drug Classes) | |
| 6-AM (Heroin) Amphetamines Barbiturates Benzodiazepines Buprenorphine Cannabinoids Cocaine Ethyl Glucuronide (ETG) Ketamine MDMA | Methadone Opiates Oxycodone Phencyclidine (PCP) Zolpidem |
| Validity Test | |
| Creatinine General Oxidant Gravity Detect pH-Detect | |
| **Confirmation Test (22 Drug Classes) |
Alcohol Antiepileptics Antipsychotics Antitussive Barbiturates Bath Salts Benzodiazepines Designer Drugs Hallucinogens & Dissociatives Illicit Drugs Kratom |
Muscle Relaxant Opioids Opioid Antagonists Spices SSRIs / SNRIs Tricyclic Antidepressants Other Antidepressants Stimulants THC Z-Drug Sedatives Others |
**Details on our test panels can be found in our test panel details section
We are a proud participating provider for Medicare and Medicaid programs, and a servicing provider for commercial insurance, including but not limited to:
If you have insurance coverage not listed above, please contact us for more information on how we can assist you.
Nexsun Labs performs drug screens using enzyme immunoassay (EIA). This test uses antibodies to detect the presence of drugs and other substances in a patient’s urine. The initial screening process does not measure the specific amount of drug present in urine samples.
We have developed a robust LC-MS/MS method that provides precise identification, quantification, and ensures high productivity. LC-MS/MS helps us provide results that are precise, accurate, sensitive, and selective.
If a test indicates a concentration of a drug that is equal to or over the cutoff level, the test is considered positive. If it is below this cutoff level, it is considered negative. Cutoff levels ensure a consistent measure of drug use.
There are generally two cutoff levels. The first is the screening concentration. If the sample exceeds the limit, the lab or tester submits it for a confirmation test. Cutoff levels for the second confirmation test are generally slightly lower.
Examples of Urine Drug Screen Cutoff Levels:
| Urine Drug Screen Cutoff Levels | |
|---|---|
| Analyte | Cutoff (ng/mL) |
| Amphetamines | 500 |
| Barbiturates | 500 |
| Benzodiazepines | 200 |
| Buprenorphine | 5 |
| Cannabinoids | 50 |
| Cocaine | 150 |
| MDMA | 500 |
| Methadone | 300 |
| Opiates | 300 |
| Oxycodone | 100 |
| Phencyclidine (PCP) | 25 |
| 6-AM (Heroin) | 10 |
| Ethyl Glucuronide | 500 |
| Ketamine | 100 |
| Zolpidem | 20 |
Screening and confirmation testing are performed using different testing methodologies with different specificity and sensitivity.
The immunoassay tests used to perform initial drug screening can detect a wide range of chemically similar compounds that react with the antibodies which are at the core of the chemistry making up the tests. The cutoff levels of an immunoassay screen are typically higher than the confirmation test because they screen larger groups of metabolites and structurally similar compounds.
When performing confirmation testing using LC/MS/MS (Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry), one or more specific metabolites can be identified, quantified, and reported using the applicable confirmation cutoff for a positive test result. This involves the identification of a specific drug or metabolite that may present in a concentration lower than the drug screen, thus the need for a lower cutoff.
Drug testing cutoff levels are usually expressed in the units of measure ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter). A quantitative positive LC-MS/MS result is commonly expressed in ng/mL.
Specimen validity screening verifies that the specimen submitted for testing is human urine. It ensures the integrity of the drug test by measuring pH, creatinine, specific gravity, and testing for adulterants that may be added to the urine sample. Specimen validity testing is important because it provides clinicians with critical information about the accuracy and reliability of drug test results.
Tactics used to adulterate urine samples for substance abuse testing generally fall into three categories:
- Urine substitution: The substitution of one’s own urine sample with a clean sample one or other products that have a similar appearance to urine.
- Urine dilution: The ingestion of excessive amounts of fluids or compounds such as diuretics to flush out the system.
- Urine adulteration: The direct addition of adulterants or masking agents to urine specimens to interfere with the test.
In general, routine passive exposure to marijuana smoke will not result in a positive result for cannabinoids more than a 50 ng/mL screening cut-off or a 25 ng/mL THC-COOH confirmation cut-off.
We offer self-pay options for those seeking to bypass the need to see their doctor. Our self-pay option is $125 and includes a full, comprehensive drug screening with reflex to confirmation.
