Drug and Alcohol Testing

Insight Occupational Testing offers a full spectrum of drug and alcohol testing services to meet your needs. Both Lab-based and Express/POCT Drug Screening are available in a variety of drug test panels including 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13+, at our office or yours, whichever is most convenient for you.

We pride ourselves on ensuring timely and accurate results for all our testing services. Drug and alcohol collections are performed by our certified collectors and Evidential Breath Alcohol technicians in accordance with U.S. DOT Regulations and Canadian Industry standards.

If you are unsure of what type of testing would best suite your situation, the professional team at Insight can assist you in making the right testing choice for your organization.

Urine Drug Testing

Laboratory-based Urine Drug Testing

Laboratory-based urine drug testing is considered the “gold standard” and most commonly used form of drug testing in the workplace. If you have the time to wait for the drug test result, we recommend this be your first choice for drug testing.

Laboratory-based urine drug testing provides the most accurate and legally defensible type of results and is recognized by both the Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA) Canadian Model and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as the leading practice within the drug testing industry.

Samples are collected following strict Chain of Custody procedures by our certified collectors and are sent to Dynacare Medical Laboratories for analysis and confirmation testing. Dynacare Medical Laboratories is a Canadian based, SAMSHA Certified laboratory with an initial screening laboratory in Edmonton and a full-service laboratory in London, Ontario. Testing is completed following Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) guidelines and the results are then reviewed by our certified Canadian Medical Review Officer (MRO). Negative lab-based results are reported to your company’s Designated Employee Representative (DER) within 24-48 hours while positive drug test results are reported within 2-5 business days of the sample being received at the laboratory.

*Please note* Positive lab-based drug results take longer than negative test results due to the additional lab confirmation testing required at the lab and the MRO review process.

All U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) urine drug tests are sent to the lab for testing in accordance with 49 CFR Part 40 procedures: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=44edbc0e557a4cc5ff03365810ee5b1c&mc=true&node=pt49.1.40&rgn=div5

Express / POCT Urine Drug Testing

Express testing or Point-Of-Collection Testing (POCT) refers to a “quick screen” drug test. An express drug test is ideal when you need results immediately.

Express testing provides a qualitative “Yes or No” result regarding whether or not parent drugs and/or their metabolites are detected in a urine sample. POCT test results meet the same cut-off levels as laboratory results, but are not recognized by the Canadian Model or the U.S. DOT. This is because the result is subject to the collector’s interpretation. Laboratory confirmation is required for non-negative express results to ensure accuracy and legal defensibility.

Prior to performing any POCT testing, each sample is assessed using an adulteration check device to ensure the sample’s integrity. An adulteration check will indicate whether a person is attempting to mask the results of their drug screen. If the adulteration screen check is normal, the collector will proceed with the Express/POCT testing. If a problem is detected during the adulteration check, additional samples may be required prior to any testing being done.

Express/ POCT Results: If the Express drug screen result is negative, no further testing is required and you will be given a Clean Card when you leave our office. Clean Cards are a wallet-sized copy of a negative test result which you can keep in your wallet or ticket book as proof that you completed required testing and on what date.

If the express drug screen result is Non-negative it is Insight Occupational testing’s recommendation that ALL non-negative samples be sent to the laboratory for confirmation testing. Without laboratory confirmation testing, the test result cannot be deemed “positive” and is not legally defensible. Only a Medical Review Officer (MRO) can confirm if a result is positive or not. The MRO will review the laboratory quantitative confirmation results and will determine whether there are legitimate reasons for why a donor may have a non-negative drug screen (for example – Prescription medications) and ensure that any such medications are being taken within the prescribed limits.