Table 1 Summary of drug testing technologies and methods, and definition of terms
Method | Discrimination | Substances | Identify (qualify) | Amount (quantify) | Destroy sample? | Lab | Point of care | Cost (USD) | Ease of use | Time required for results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Most discriminatory | Mass Spectrometry | ★★★★★ | Virtually any | ✓ | ✓ | Yes | ✓ | $5000 (used, older)–200.000+ (new, advanced models) Plus recurring costs (reagents, servicing) | Intermediate–advanced (depending on model) | Minutes | |
Infrared spectrometry | ★★★★★ | Virtually any | ✓ | ✓ | No | ✓ | ✓ | $4000 (used, older)–100,000 (new, advanced models) Portable: 10,000–60,000 Plus recurring costs (licensing, servicing) | Basic–advanced (depending on model) | Second to minutes (Inc. Portable) | |
Raman Spectroscopy | ★★★★★ | Virtually any | ✓ | ✓ | No | ✓ | ✓ | $5000 (used, older)–100,000 (new, advanced models) Portable: 10,000–60,000 Plus recurring costs (licensing, servicing) | Basic–advanced (depending on model) | Seconds to minutes (Inc. Portable) | |
X-ray diffractometry | ★★★★ | Crystalline (solids) | ✓ | ✓ | No | ✓ | $50,000–250,000+ Plus recurring costs (reagents, servicing) | Advanced—expert | Minutes to hours | ||
Least discriminatory | Thin-layer chromatography | ★★★ | Most common drugs of abuse; possibly not some novel psychoactive substances | ✓ | Yes | ✓ | ✓ | Initial supplies: $1000–3000 Recurring costs: $100–1000 per month depending on volume of usage (bulk reagents) | Basic—intermediate | Minutes to hours | |
Ultraviolet spectroscopy | ★★★ | Most common drugs of abuse | ✓ | No | ✓ | ✓ | $3000–10,000 | Basic—intermediate | Minutes | ||
Spot/color tests | ★★ | Most common drugs of abuse; must be already characterized (i.e., possibly not some) | ✓ | Yes | ✓ | ✓ | Approximately 2–5 dollars per test (in house) Recurring costs: $100–500 per month depending on volume of usage (bulk reagents) | Basic—intermediate | Seconds to minutes | ||
Microcrystalline tests | ★★ | Several | ✓ | Yes | ✓ | ✓ | Approximately 2–4 dollars per test (in house) Recurring costs: $100–500 per month depending on volume of usage (bulk reagents) | Intermediate—advanced | Minutes | ||
Immunoassay | ★★ | Various metabolized drugs in urine samples | ✓ | Yes | ✓ | $5000–20,000 for initial equipment (analyzer) Recurring costs: $300–1000 per month depending on volume of usage (bulk reagents) | Intermediate—advanced | Minutes | |||
Urine dipstick test | ★★ | Fentanyl | ✓ | Yes | ✓ | Approximately 1–5 dollars per test (in house) Recurring costs: $50–400 per month, depending on volume of usage | Basic—intermediate | Seconds to minutes |