NCJ Number
196062
Date Published
1998
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This document contains training materials on technology for drug testing presented via teleconference.
Abstract
As a result of this training by teleconference, participants learned to name six types of technology for substance abuse testing: hair analysis, sweat analysis, oral fluids testing, blood testing, breath analysis, and urine testing, and describe the relative advantages and disadvantages of each. Participants were able to describe the difference between immunoassay testing methods such as enzyme multiplied, fluorescence polarization, kinetic interaction of micro particles in solution, latex agglutination, and radio immunoassays, and chromatography testing methods for urine such as gas chromatography, high performance liquid, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. They learned to list the classifications of substances that could be detected through urine testing such as cannabis, central nervous system depressants and stimulants, hallucinogens, narcotic analgesics, inhalants, phencyclidine, and those for which tests were either unavailable of require more difficult or costly testing methods. Other areas of training included learning how to identify ways that urine tests could be adulterated or otherwise tampered with and ways to detect and/or avoid these problems; make decisions for program policies and procedures regarding onsite or off site testing, instrument or non-instrument testing, drugs to test for, scheduled or random testing, frequency of testing, specimen collection procedures, chain of custody procedures, confirmation tests, cutoff levels; and specify how positive and negative results would be used. Supplemental information included at the conclusion of the packet includes technology for drug testing, types of psychoactive substances, lists of substances and their symptoms, and source references.