Took Drug Test Friday When Should I Know Results?

You asked: I took drug test Friday when should I know results?

If you took an instant drug test, you’ll get your result the same day if your sample was negative for drugs. Positive results need confirmatory testing at a laboratory.

With other types of drug tests, taking a test on a Friday usually delays the results because drug testing labs don’t work over the weekend. Labs also give faster results for negative specimens than for positive ones.

If your drug test result is negative, you should know by the following Tuesday or Wednesday. If it’s positive, you should know by the following Friday.

The type of drug test involved – saliva, urine, or hair – will also affect the turnaround time.

The Weekend Will Delay Your Drug Test Results

When you take a drug test on a Friday, your sample could be sent to the lab later that day if the collection site has a scheduled pick-up on Fridays. If not, your sample won’t be collected until Monday, which will further delay your result.

In a best-case scenario, your sample will be picked up on Friday, arrive at the lab on Monday morning, and be tested later that day.

If your sample is picked up on Monday, it should arrive on Tuesday morning.

Labs aim to report negative samples within 1 or 2 days of receiving the specimen.

If your sample is positive, your result will take a little longer because extra testing is needed to confirm the first result.

Drug test results can also take longer during busy periods, for example, when many employers are hiring extra staff for the holiday season.

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I Took Drug Test Friday When Should I Know Results Of A Negative Urine Test?

Once the lab receives your sample, a negative drug test result for a 5-panel drug screen or a 10-panel drug screen should be available within 1 to 2 days.

First, an initial screening test is carried out using an enzyme immunoassay. This test is used to determine if a urine sample is negative or positive.

If your sample is negative, the result is passed to the Medical Review officer (MRO) who verifies the result and then contacts the party that ordered the drug test.

1. You give your urine sample on Friday
2. The collection site sends your urine sample to the lab later that day.
3. Your urine sample arrives at the lab on Monday morning.
4. Your urine sample is tested on Monday with an enzyme immunoassay – it’s negative for drugs.
5. The MRO reviews your result on Monday or Tuesday.
6. Your negative result is reported on Monday or Tuesday.

If your urine sample isn’t picked up until Monday, it will usually arrive at the lab on Tuesday, and a negative result will be reported later that day, or on Wednesday.

I Took a Drug Test Friday When Should I Know the Results Of A Positive Urine Test?

If your urine sample gave a positive result on the enzyme immunoassay, further testing needs to be done to confirm the result.

Positive samples are tested using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

These testing methods identify which drugs are present in a urine sample and measure how much of a drug is present.

If the amount of the detected drug is at or higher than the cutoff level, your result is positive. If it’s lower than the cutoff level, your result is negative.

Your results will be passed to the MRO and a negative result will be reported to the ordering party as soon as the result has been verified.

If your result is positive, the MRO will contact you to ask you about any prescription or over-the-counter medications you take.

Some medications can give a false positive for illegal drugs and some other prescription medications contain substances tested for on a 10-panel drug screen.

To find out if there’s a legitimate reason for your positive result, the MRO will ask you to provide details of any prescriptions you take or give consent for them to contact your physician.

If there’s a legitimate reason for the presence of drugs detected in your sample, your result will be amended to negative. Otherwise, your result will be reported as positive.

The additional checks carried out by the MRO can add several days to the process, and the average turnaround time for positive results is 4 to 6 business days after the lab receives your sample.

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When Should I Know The Results Of My Saliva Drug Test?

Negative saliva drug test results should be ready within 1 to 2 days of the lab receiving your saliva sample.

If the lab received your sample on Monday morning, your result will be ready later that day, or on Tuesday.

Saliva samples are first tested with an ELISA immunoassay test. This test gives a rapid result and negative results are passed to the MRO, who verifies the result and contacts the ordering party.

If your saliva sample is positive on the ELISA screening test, the sample will be tested again using mass spectrometry to confirm the result.

The results of this test are passed to the MRO. If your result is positive, the MRO will contact you to find out if there’s a legitimate medical reason for the drugs found in your sample.

Positive results should be available 4 to 6 business days after the lab receives your sample.

When Should I Know The Results Of A Hair Test?

Labs use two methods to screen hair samples for drugs.

The first method is an ELISA screening. Negative results from the initial screening test should be available after 2 to 3 days.

If your hair sample arrived at the lab on Monday morning, a negative result will be available on Tuesday or Wednesday.

If your sample tests positive on the ELISA screen, it will then undergo mass spectrometry testing.

A positive result from this test will be passed to the MRO, who will need to contact you to find out if any medications you take are the reason for the positive result.

The extra screening process and MRO inquiry add another 2 to 3 days to the testing timeline.

I Took A Drug Test Monday When Should I Know Results?

When you give your urine, saliva, or hair sample on a Monday, the lab should receive your specimen the following morning – Tuesday.

If your sample is negative following the initial screening procedure, your results will be reported to the party that ordered your drug test within 1 to 2 days.

If your sample is positive after the initial screening, it will be analyzed using mass spectrometry to confirm the result and determine the exact levels of the substances tested for.

A negative result at this stage will be confirmed by the MRO.

A positive result following mass spectrometry analysis requires further investigation, and the MRO will contact you to find out if you take any medications which could have affected the result.

Because of the extra confirmation required, a positive drug test result usually takes 4 to 6 days.

Quick Summary

I took a drug test Friday, when should I know the results? Your sample will arrive at the lab on Monday or Tuesday morning because of the delay caused by the weekend.

Negative results for urine and saliva samples should be ready within 1 to 2 days once the lab receives your sample. Positive results should be available 4 to 6 days after the lab receives your sample.

A negative result for a hair sample should take 2 to 3 days, while a positive result could take an additional 3 days to confirm.

I took a drug test Monday when should I know the results? Your sample will arrive at the lab on Tuesday morning. A negative result will be reported within 1 to 2 days. A positive result will take 4 to 6 days.

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