Drug Testing – Hair Follicle or Urine Drug Test?
Two of the drug testing methods that are available to employers are urine and hair follicle. The answer to which test is right for you depends on what you need to accomplish.
Drug testing methods to match your needs
If you need to find out what your applicant or employee has in their system right now or the very recent past, urine drug testing is a good solution. This test determines drug use in the last few days. If it is important to see what the candidate’s long-term habits are or if you feel they have “prepared” for the test by abstaining from drugs for a few days, then the hair follicle test can be a better choice. This test will determine drug use over the last 90 days but won’t detect more recent use.
Which drug testing method costs more?
The cost of a hair follicle test is typically going to be more expensive than a urine drug test. And the employee/candidate needs to have 100-120 hairs cut from the crown of their head. For people with sparse or no hair, the tester can use body hair instead.
What affects the results of hair follicle drug testing?
Washing, dying or styling products do not affect the hair follicle test, but certain medications may. Legal prescriptions like opioid painkillers can affect the outcome and the candidate/employee will likely need to provide documentation of prescription to their employer. A negative drug testing result can be delivered in 24 hours. A non-negative result will cause a second test to be performed to confirm drug use. Within 72 hours this second test can detect multiple drugs and guards against false positives.
What affects the results of urine drug testing?
Many people have tried to “beat” the test by different methods. This rarely works and most labs are able to detect the best efforts by candidates to dilute or alter their urine.
Need help with drug testing?
Whether you need drug testing for pre-employment, on-going employee testing or accident investigation, the right company can make all the difference! Partnering with a CRA (Consumer Reporting Agency) that has the services you need to fill in your HR gaps can be an economical solution. The right CRA partner can provide you with convenient drug testing locations, help you recruit, integrate your system, perform background screening, provide education and license verification and support throughout the hiring process.
Feel confident that you are bringing the best hire into your company by having done due diligence both legally and ethically for your employees and customers. A professional CRA partner pays for itself by avoiding costly hiring mistakes. For a free consultation or more information, contact Genesis Background Screening Services at 866 944-0041 ext 101. Online, email or visit www.genesisbackgroundscreening.com. You can sign up to be emailed whenever we post a new blog at https://genesisbackgroundscreening.com/blog/
Genesis Background Screening is not a law firm and provides our blogs for informational purposes only. Blog is not a substitute for experienced legal advice. Research laws or regulations mentioned in our blogs and ask your legal counsel any questions you have to be sure your organization is within the law and compliant with regulations.
Jacqueline McClure
Genesis Background Screening Services
