When you want to apply for a job, you may be asked to take a drug test first. Nowadays, many companies ask their prospective employees to take a drug test to avoid unwanted things. The 10 panel drug test is the most commonly performed drug test. To carry out a 10 panel drug test, you can do that at Labcorp, one of the largest and well-known clinical laboratories in the United States that serves a variety of clinical laboratory tests, including drug tests. Many people do their medical tests at LabCorp because the test results are fast and accurate. Aside from that, many prospective employees also take drug tests at LabCorp to fulfill job requirements. Well, in this article, we will discuss the 10-panel drug test including the components and cutoff levels.
What is a 10 Panel Drug Test?
The 10-panel drug test is the most commonly performed laboratory test to detect the presence of various substances in a person’s system, both illegal drugs and prescription drugs that are often abused by the public. The test is named as the 10 panel test because it analyzes the presence of 10 types of drugs in a person’s system, consisting of five illegal drugs and five additional drugs including Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates. The 10 panel drug test has the main purpose of identifying the use of illicit and prescription drugs and ensuring safety in various contexts.
This 10-panel drug test will test a person’s urine. The test process is quite simple and easy to perform, as the drugs consumed by a person will leave traces in the urine as it leaves the body. Definitely, this 10 panel drug test is very versatile. And, the test is conducted in various scenarios, such as pre-employment screening, probation monitoring, and post-accident drug tests, which will help employers ensure that individuals are not under the influence of illicit substances that could impair their work performance. These 10-panel drug tests are commonly conducted in pre-employment screening especially for law enforcement, medical professionals, government employees, and other industries where the use of banned substances can impact the security and safety of others.
According to the journal Analytical Toxicology, compared to other forms of testing, such as saliva testing, urine testing is more accurate for detecting the presence of illicit substances in a person’s body. Drug testing through blood or hair requires a very complicated process. Therefore, test administrators prefer to use urine tests due to the accuracy of the test results and the simplicity of the process.
Drugs Tested in the 10 Panel Pre Employment Drug Test
A 10 panel drug test is conducted to check for the presence of 10 different types of drugs in an individual’s body. Here are 10 different types of drugs that can be found in a 10 panel drug test:
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Amphetamines
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The 10-panel drug test detects drugs such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, (meth), amphetamine sulfate (speed), and ecstasy. In addition, the 10-panel drug test also detects ADHD drugs, such as Adderall and Ritalin.
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Barbiturates
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A 10-panel drug test detected Barbiturates which are known as sedative-hypnotics. Barbiturates are a class of tranquilizers that work to depress the central nervous system. Barbiturates are sometimes abused for their euphoric effects.
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Benzodiazepines
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The presence of Benzodiazepines can be detected through a 10-panel drug test. Benzodiazepines are commonly used to treat sleep disorders (Insomnia), anxiety, seizure disorders, panic disorders, and bipolar disorders. Examples of Benzodiazepine drugs are Alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), and chlordiazepoxide (Librium).
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Cocaine
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The 10-panel drug test detects cocaine and other drugs containing cocaine, such as crack cocaine or freebase. Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug that is abused for recreational use.
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Marijuana
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The 10-panel drug test can detect for marijuana and its resins such as marijuana, hashish, and extracts including THC oil, glass, and wax. THC is one of the most widely consumed illicit drugs.
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Methadone
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Methadone such as Methadone and Dolophine are drugs commonly used to treat chronic pain and overcome addiction to heroin or other opioids.
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Opiates
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You can find opiates in the form of prescription pills to illegal drugs. Some of the most common Opiates are morphine, codeine, smoked opium, hydrocodone, heroin and oxycodone. Opiates, such as heroin and oxycodone are drugs that can cause addiction
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Phencyclidine (PCP)
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A 10 panel drug test will detect the presence of Phencyclidine (PCP) which is used as a dissociative drug due to its hallucinogenic and sedative properties.
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Propoxyphene
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Propoxyphene is a narcotic drug that is used to relieve or eliminate pain, ranging from mild to moderate pain. Propoxyphene is sold under the names Darvon and Darvocet. This drug can be addictive for those who consume it.
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Synthetic Cannabinoids
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These are manufactured drugs that mimic the effects of Marijuana (THC) and are often marketed at high prices.
Cutoff Levels in a 10 Panel Pre Employment Drug Test
Drug tests detect the presence of drugs and drug metabolites (drug concentrations) by using cut-off levels to determine whether a specimen tests positive or negative for a particular drug. In 10 Panel drug tests, cut-off levels are very important because they determine the concentration of a drug or its metabolites in a person’s system that will trigger a positive result. This cut-off level was established in order to reduce the possibility of false positive results and to ensure that only new and significant drug use is detected. You should know that the cut-off levels in this 10-panel drug test can vary based on the drug being tested. The value is set at the cutoff level that would most likely give a positive result if the drug was used within a certain time before the test.
When conducting pre employment drug testing, employers or job applicants should be aware that there are cut-off levels that laboratories use to measure employee drug test results. In simple terms we can define drug test cut-off levels as established measurement thresholds that can determine whether a test specimen is positive or negative for a particular controlled substance. Whether you are an employer or an employee, you may want to know how these pre employment drug testing cutoff levels may impact the final results.
Here is an example of typical cutoff levels for some common drugs in a 10 panel drug test:
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- Amphetamines: 1,000 ng/mL
- Barbiturates: 300 ng/mL
- Benzodiazepines: 300 ng/mL
- Cocaine: 300 ng/mL
- Marijuana (THC): 50 ng/mL
- Methadone: 300 ng/mL
- Opiates: 2,000 ng/mL
- Phencyclidine (PCP): 25 ng/mL
- Propoxyphene: 300 ng/mL
- Synthetic Cannabinoids: 50 ng/mL
It should be noted that the presence of a drug in an individual’s system will not necessarily indicate recent use or impairment. There are several factors that can influence how long a drug can be detected, namely the individual’s metabolism, the amount consumed and the frequency of use.
Understanding Drug Test Screening Level vs. Confirmation Level
Typically, for employment drug testing, laboratories follow a two-part testing process. The first part is to perform an analysis of a portion of the specimen (urine drug test or hair follicle drug test). This initial testing will identify and eliminate negative specimens if a controlled substance is detected. If the first part of the test detects a controlled substance that is at or above the specified cutoff level, then the second part of the test specimen must be sent for confirmation testing. You should know that confirmatory tests use more robust methods, such as chromatography mass spectrometry, to accurately identify drug metabolites and their current amounts in the specimen.
Then, if the amount of drug metabolites is at or above the specific cutoff level, the drug testing laboratory will report the result as positive. Keep in mind that cut-off levels are set to give test subjects the benefit of the doubt if small amounts of drug metabolites are detected in a person’s system due to circumstances such as second-hand smoke or medications.
Understanding ng/mL and pg/mg Drug Screening Measurements
The form of measurement used to identify the concentration level of a drug metabolite will depend on the type of specimen used. When assessing drug metabolite measurements, it is required to refer to the drug cutoff limits established for the type of specimen tested. For urine drug tests, cutoff levels are usually expressed in nanograms (ng) per milliliter (mL). This also applies to oral fluid drug tests. However, if an employer requests a hair follicle drug test, then the drug metabolite concentration levels will be expressed in picograms (pg) per milligram (mg).
Selection of specimen type and cutoff level based on the desired detection period and regulatory requirements is critical. The laboratory will report a specimen as positive when a drug or drug metabolite is identified at a concentration equal to the administrative limit or above the administrative limit. Therefore, we can say that a negative drug test does not mean there are no drugs. Although this can happen, another interpretation that could occur is that there is a drug that is below this limit or the possibility that the testing panel did not include the drug used by the individual.
