Frequently asked questions

Under Australian Standards, a collector is a person who has successfully completed a course of instruction for specimen collection and onsite testing (where applicable), including storage, handling and despatch of specimens, and who holds a statement of attainment in line with the Australian Quality Training Framework.

The Progressive Diagnostics training course meets this description and gives you the required training to perform workplace drug and alcohol testing with confidence.

A standard workplace drug screen is performed on either a urine or oral fluid specimen and tested to the relevant Australian Standard (AS 4308 for urine testing and AS 4760 for oral fluid testing).

Depending on the specimen type, the test screens for cannabinoids (cannabis), amphetamines (speed, ice), opiates (codeine, heroin), benzodiazepines (sleeping tablets and antidepressants) and cocaine. Additional drug classes such as methadone and barbiturates can sometimes be added.

Cut-off levels are defined in AS/NZS 4308 (urine) and AS 4760 (oral fluid) and are usually derived from levels that can be reliably detected in a laboratory. Some take other factors into account, such as the cannabis metabolite cut-off, which is set so a positive result cannot be obtained from passive smoking.

Urine screening cut-offs (AS/NZS 4308:2008): amphetamine type stimulants 300 ug/L; benzodiazepines 200 ug/L; cannabis metabolites 50 ug/L; cocaine metabolites 300 ug/L; opiates 300 ug/L.

Oral fluid screening cut-offs (AS 4760:2019): opiates 50 ng/mL; amphetamine type stimulants 50 ng/mL; THC 15 ng/mL; cocaine and metabolites 50 ng/mL; oxycodone 40 ng/mL.

Drug and alcohol use is a risk in the workplace. Many workplaces implement a drug and alcohol policy and related testing procedures as part of their duty of care to employees, which includes providing a safe workplace.

An employer needs a way to identify drug and alcohol impaired employees, and clear policy guidelines for how the person concerned is managed and supported to return to being fit for work. Implemented well, a policy is a positive condition of employment because it gives everyone confidence that their workmates are fit for work.

How long each drug stays in the body varies with the drug and the individual. As a rough guide:

Alcohol: 2 to 14 hours depending on consumption. Amphetamines: 2 to 4 days. Barbiturates: long acting 2 to 3 weeks; short acting 24 to 72 hours. Benzodiazepines: up to 4 to 6 weeks. Cocaine: 2 to 4 days. Cannabinoids: light user up to 15 days; heavy user (2 to 3 times a day for more than 3 months) up to 8 weeks. Methadone: 3 days. Opiates: 2 days.

Yes. Your urine specimen is checked to make sure it is concentrated enough to test and that no external adulterants are present that may interfere with testing.

The urine screening test includes checks for common adulterants such as bleach, as well as commercially available adulterants.

Drinking an excessive amount of fluid before a urine test can produce a specimen that is too dilute to test. This is measured by the creatinine level in the urine.

If creatinine is too low, the sample cannot be tested and must be repeated. Continuous dilute samples, in the absence of prescribed diuretics or certain medical conditions, may be treated as possible intentional dilution to avoid the test.

Passive inhalation of cannabis smoke cannot cause a positive result on a drug test except in extreme conditions that you would have to voluntarily endure.

Specimen collection is always performed with maximum regard for privacy. Different companies and providers apply different levels of supervision to confirm the urine specimen came from the person concerned.

The specimen is always handled under full chain of custody conditions. It is split at the point of collection into two containers, a test specimen and a referee specimen, and both are sealed with tamper-proof security seals in full view of the donor.

The referee specimen is kept and can be retested by a different laboratory at the donor’s request.

Check with the pharmacist or doctor who prescribed your medication whether you are safe to work in your current role while taking it, and whether the drug is likely to show up in a drug test.

A confirmatory drug test can differentiate prescription and over-the-counter medications from illicit drugs. If you are taking prescribed medication, declare it at the time of collection so it can be taken into account.

Some sources of poppy seeds available in supermarkets or on bread products may produce an initial non-negative (positive) result under the opiate drug class. Further laboratory confirmatory testing can identify whether the result relates to medication or drugs.

There is currently no Australian Standard for workplace drug testing on blood specimens.