Drug Testing Glossary: 50 Terms Explained in Plain English
Lab reports and HR emails throw around words nobody explains. Here they are, in plain English. We add new terms as readers ask.
Ad: we may earn a commission if you buy through this link. Information only, not medical or legal advice. Tampering with a drug test can be illegal and usually counts as a refusal. The only sure way to pass is to not use.
A to Z
- 6-AM
- 6-acetylmorphine, a metabolite unique to heroin.
- Adulterant
- A substance added to a specimen to interfere with testing. Labs test for them and many states ban them.
- Benzoylecgonine
- The main cocaine metabolite that urine tests look for.
- Breathalyzer
- A device estimating blood alcohol from breath.
- Chain of custody
- The paperwork that tracks a specimen from collection to result.
- Collection site
- The clinic or office where your sample is collected.
- Confirmatory test
- A second, more precise lab test (GC-MS or LC-MS) run after a non-negative screen.
- Cotinine
- The main nicotine metabolite, used in nicotine tests.
- Creatinine
- A waste product in urine. Low values suggest dilution.
- Cross-reactivity
- When a screen reacts to a different substance, causing a false positive.
- Cutoff level
- The concentration above which a result counts as positive.
- Detection window
- How long after use a substance can be found in a specimen.
- Dilute specimen
- Urine with low creatinine and specific gravity. Employers may require a retest.
- DOT test
- A federally required test for transportation safety jobs under 49 CFR Part 40.
- EtG / EtS
- Ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate, alcohol metabolites detectable for up to about 80 hours.
- False negative
- A test that misses a substance that's present.
- False positive
- A screen that reads positive without the drug being present.
- Fuel cell
- The electrochemical sensor in accurate breathalyzers.
- GC-MS
- Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the gold-standard confirmation.
- Hair follicle test
- A test on a scalp or body hair sample, covering about 90 days.
- Immunoassay
- An antibody-based screening test.
- Instant test
- A point-of-care cup or dip card giving results in minutes.
- Invalid result
- A specimen the lab couldn't test reliably.
- LC-MS/MS
- Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, another confirmation method.
- Metabolite
- A substance the body makes when it breaks down a drug.
- MRO
- Medical Review Officer, a doctor who reviews positives and prescriptions.
- Negative-dilute
- A negative result flagged as dilute.
- ng/mL
- Nanograms per milliliter, the unit for cutoffs.
- Observed collection
- A collection watched by a same-sex observer.
- Oral fluid test
- A saliva test, usually covering 1-2 days.
- Panel
- The number of drug classes a test checks, such as 5, 10 or 12.
- pH
- Acidity of urine; out-of-range values flag adulteration.
- Point-of-care test
- A test read on-site rather than in a lab.
- Pre-employment test
- A test required before a job offer becomes final.
- Random test
- An unannounced test, often required in safety jobs.
- Reasonable suspicion test
- A test ordered because of observed signs of impairment.
- Refusal to test
- Not providing a valid sample, which usually counts like a positive.
- Retest
- A second test, often after a dilute or invalid result.
- SAMHSA
- The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which sets federal testing guidelines.
- Screening test
- The first, quick test (usually immunoassay).
- Specific gravity
- Density of urine compared with water; helps flag dilution.
- Split specimen
- A sample divided in two so the second half can be tested on request.
- Substituted specimen
- A sample inconsistent with human urine.
- Synthetic urine
- A lab-made liquid mimicking urine, sold for calibration and novelty. Many states ban using it for tests.
- Temperature strip
- The strip on a collection cup that checks the sample's temperature.
- THC-COOH
- The main inactive THC metabolite urine tests look for.
- Toxicology
- The science of drugs and poisons in the body.
- Urinalysis
- Laboratory analysis of urine.
- Validity testing
- Checks for dilution, substitution and adulteration.
- Zero tolerance
- A policy where any detected use counts, regardless of amount.
See also how drug tests work.
Ad: we may earn a commission if you buy through this link. Information only, not medical or legal advice. Tampering with a drug test can be illegal and usually counts as a refusal. The only sure way to pass is to not use.
No product can promise you a pass, and the only certain way is to not use. Tampering with a drug test can be illegal and is usually treated as a refusal. We never help anyone beat DOT, federal, safety-sensitive, or court-ordered tests. If substance use is getting on top of you, call the free, confidential SAMHSA National Helpline on 1-800-662-4357 (24/7, English and Spanish), or call or text 988 in a crisis. Source: samhsa.gov.