What Drugs are Detected in Urine Tests?

Organisations are responsible for the wellbeing of staff while they are at work, and that includes minimising the risk of accidents caused by drug use. Urine testing is a fast, cost-effective way to screen for recent drug use, and it has the longest detection window of any on-site method.

One thing to be clear on before you start: a urine drug test detects the presence of drugs and their metabolites — it does not measure impairment. A non-negative result tells you a substance has been used in the past few days or weeks, not that the person is affected right now. If you need to establish current impairment from alcohol, that is a breath alcohol test, measured as BAC. Urine tests detect both illicit and prescription drugs, which is why any non-negative result needs laboratory confirmation and a conversation before any decision is made.

Which kit detects what

Every kit below is an integrated cup or card — collection, drug screening and specimen validity checks in one sealed device, read on site in about five minutes. The difference is how many drug classes each one covers.

Per-test pricing at 500 kits. All kits supplied in boxes of 25. Screening results are preliminary — any non-negative result should be confirmed by a NATA-accredited laboratory in line with your workplace policy.

Not sure which to choose? Most Australian workplaces start with a 6-panel, because those six classes are what AS/NZS 4308 is built around. Move up to the 9 if your workforce includes people on opioid replacement therapy, or up to the 15 if you are in a sector seeing prescription opioids, ketamine or fentanyl. If your priority is defensibility in a dispute, the VinScreen 6 is the only kit here independently verified to the current 2023 edition of the Standard.

Amphetamines and methamphetamines

Amphetamines and methamphetamines are stimulants, and two of the six core classes covered by every kit above. They can be injected, smoked, swallowed or snorted.

These drugs vary in colour from white to brown and take the form of powder, tablets, capsules and crystals. Methamphetamine is a derivative of amphetamine and is the form most commonly used illicitly, though amphetamines can be legally prescribed for certain medical conditions — another reason a non-negative screen is the start of a conversation, not the end of one.

Cocaine

Cocaine, derived from the leaves of the South American coca bush, is also a stimulant and appears as a white powder or crystal. It is usually snorted, injected, rubbed into the gums, or added to food and drink. Crack cocaine looks like white or translucent crystals with a pink or yellowish tint and is most often smoked.

Worth noting: AS/NZS 4308:2023 revised the cocaine screening cut-off to 150 ng/mL. If you are running older stock calibrated to the previous threshold, your results are not aligned with the current Standard.

Opiates

Opiates (naturally derived from the opium poppy) and opioids (their synthetic equivalents) are depressants that relieve pain and create feelings of relaxation. There are many forms, and they affect people differently depending on factors including size and weight.

A standard opiates panel is calibrated to morphine and will pick up codeine and heroin. It will not reliably detect oxycodone or fentanyl — those need their own panels, which is the main reason workplaces move up to the 15-panel cup.

Cannabis

Also known as marijuana, cannabis comes in various forms but is generally smoked or ingested. Effects differ between people, with many reporting relaxation and euphoria alongside increased appetite, slower reflexes and memory impairment.

Cannabis has the longest urine detection window of the common classes — days for occasional use, and up to several weeks for heavy regular use. This is exactly why urine testing cannot tell you whether someone is impaired now. If recent use is what you need to establish, oral fluid testing is the better method.

Synthetic cannabis, sold under brand names including Kronic, K2 and Spice, is not on a standard 6-panel. It is included on the Maxi Clear 9, or you can screen for it with a dedicated K2 cassette.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are depressants that can be legally prescribed but are frequently used illicitly. They are usually swallowed as tablets and come in long, intermediate and short-acting forms. Because prescription use is common, this panel produces non-negatives that turn out to be entirely legitimate — a reason to have a medical review officer step in your policy.

Drugs a standard panel will miss

A six-panel cup covers the classes AS/NZS 4308 is built around. It does not cover everything, and if a specific substance is a known risk in your workplace you can screen for it directly with a single-drug cassette rather than upgrading your whole program.

• Fentanyl — not on a standard opiates panel. Fentanyl rapid dip test, or included on the 15-panel.
• Synthetic cannabis (K2/Spice) — K2 rapid urine test, or included on the 9-panel.
• Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) — historically difficult to screen for on site, but now available as a dedicated psilocybin dip test.
• GHB — GHB rapid test cassette.
• Nicotine / cotinine — for smoke-free workplace programs, a cotinine cassette.

Genuinely outside the scope of on-site urine screening: LSD, DMT and mescaline, most novel designer drugs and research chemicals, and kratom. Designer drugs are reformulated faster than immunoassays can be developed for them.

Before you start testing

Three things determine whether a testing program holds up when it is challenged:

• A written policy your staff have seen, covering what is tested, when, and what happens after a non-negative. We offer policy advice if you are starting from scratch.
• A trained collector. Collection is where most programs come unstuck. HLTPAT010 Collect Specimens for Drugs of Abuse Testing is the current unit of competency.
• Chain of custody. Any sample going to a laboratory needs documented handling from collection onward — chain of custody booklets and lab confirmation kits.