Among the different specimens which are collected for testing the drug abuse, saliva drug testing is one of the popular method due to its ease in conducting the test. It works on the principle of immunoassay for the qualitative detection of drugs such as Amphetamine, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine, Marijuana, Methamphetamine and Opiate and their metabolites in saliva or the other oral fluids. Compared to all other test procedures, saliva drug testing is quiet simple and more comfortable, even for performing for another individual. Following are the instructions for performing the test.
- The test should always be conducted at room temperatures. Hence neither the test kit nor the specimen should be cold or hot and should be at room temperature. If the pouch, which carries the kit is refrigerated, take it out and wait until it reaches the room temperature. Once it is at the desired temperature, remove the device from the sealed pouch.
- Also remove the collector and handover it to the donor or the person who is going to be tested.
- Instruct him carefully on how to collect the specimen. Ask him to insert the sponge end of the collector into the mouth and swab the inside of the mouth, which is above the tongue. Once the sponge becomes wet and softens, he should gently press it between the tongue and the teeth to ensure complete saturation.
- Ask him to do the same process of swabbing for three times before removing it from his mouth.
- Once it is done, remove the collector from his mouth and insert it into the test device by placing it on the flat surface. Push the collector into the chamber provided and turn it clockwise until it is engaged.
- After one minute, if you are sure that the collector is engaged properly, rotate the collection chamber anti clockwise and set the timer for 9 minutes.
- Once the 9 minutes are done, read the results.
- If the results are positive, confirm them by sending the sample to the laboratory.
These are the instruction for conducting a saliva drug test. However, every drug test kit contains a instruction booklet depending on the model, so follow them to get accurate results.