Welcome to the NDS video blog series. Today, we’re going to talk about the “everything test”, something we get asked quite often. The everything drug test request kind of reminds me of when you go to one of the bagel shops and you look at the different types of bagels; you have the jalapeno (my favorite), the cheddar cheese, the plain, and of course, there’s the everything bagel.
Well, when they say everything bagel, there’s really not everything on there. There’s a variety of things that the bakery has put together and called it an everything bagel. Unlike bagels. drug testing doesn’t have an everything drug test. So, whenever you’re looking to get a drug test done, you’re going to have to know what specific substances or categories of drugs that you want to include in the test. Now, there are predesigned panels which are groups of drugs that are already pre-configured to be a specific type of test. The most common being the 5-panel or the 10-panel test. There’s also the DOT standard test or the DOT look-a-like test which mirrors the Department of Transportation’s required testing panel. And then there’s other testing. That’s a 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. As well as tests for single drugs…And you can go on and on.
What you really do need to know, though, is what drugs you want to have tested for and then find the right panel that includes those tests, whether it’s benzodiazepines or marijuana or cocaine or PCP, Tramadol, ketamine or any number of other drugs. Now, there are specific panels that are those expanded panels that do have quite a few drugs in them or drug categories. And that might be like a 17 panel hair test or urine drug screen. You also have what’s called health care professional panels (HPP I-V), and these go from one to five and they have additional drugs that might include stimulants, sedatives, tranquilizers, types of prescription medications or illicit drugs. You might have K2 Spice, also known as synthetic marijuana. There are a number of different things out there.
Some companies that have very expansive panels that are customized specifically to them. One of those that comes to mind is Exxon. And they have a very expanded panel with a lot of the synthetic marijuana and synthetic drug compounds in that test panel.
The next time you need to get a drug test and someone asks you what you need to test for, just know that everything’s probably not the test that you want to ask for. You want to be specific. For instance, I want to make sure marijuana is included. I want to make sure benzodiazepines are included or tranquilizers, sedative to like antidepressants, whatever the things that you’re testing for, know what you’re looking to test for and that’ll help you get the drug tests done correctly.
You can find out more on our blog at www.NationalDrugScreening.com. We have some great frequently asked questions. Great current blog articles. We have probably the number one search tool on the web. Just click on the magnifying glass. You’ll be able to search for pretty much anything drug and alcohol testing related. If you don’t find it there, just simply message me and we will record a video, write an article, put up an FAQ or get back to you with an answer.
