8 Panel Drug Test: Everything You Need to Know for Accurate Results

The latest statistics reveal that 5,846 people died in 2022 from fatal work injuries. This number includes all types of reported deaths at the workplace, including overdoses.

Overdoses occur from legal and illegal drug use for several reasons. Drug use affects a person’s mind, senses, and reflexes, which can lead to injuries and other issues in the workplace.

What is the best way to prevent this from happening at your business? Require an 8 panel drug test for every employee. 

Drug screenings offer accurate results and help improve workplace safety. Continue reading to learn more about these tests.

What Is an 8 Panel Drug Test?

An 8 panel drug test is a screening that reveals compounds in a person’s system. It tests for common substances and provides accurate and fast results. 

Most 8 panel tests screen a person for the following substances:

• Marijuana 
• Amphetamines 
• Opiates 
• Cocaine 
• Methamphetamines
• Phencyclidine
• Benzodiazepines
• Barbiturates

Various drugs fall within these categories, which means the test will detect any substance within the tested categories. 

How Do 8 Panel Drug Tests Work?

You can decide which testing type to use when using a drug screening. The most common options are:

• Urine tests
• Saliva tests
• Hair follicle tests

All three test types can detect the substances listed above. However, each type has different detection windows. In other words, some tests detect substances for a longer period than others.

For example, a saliva test will only detect marijuana for a few hours after use, while a urine test might detect it several days later. Because of this, many employer drug testing involves urine tests. 

Hair follicle tests can also reveal drugs in a person’s system for a longer period. The downside is it takes longer to receive the results.

Therefore, using an e-Cup urine test is often the best option as it provides rapid drug testing.  

An 8 panel test will reveal a negative or positive response to each individual substance. A person might test negative or positive for all eight, or they could test positive for some substances.

What Are the Types of 8 Panel Drug Tests?

Employers can choose from various methods for drug screening employees. There are two common types:

Point-of-Care Tests

You can purchase and provide point-of-care tests to your employees. These tests are small and simple to use, and in most cases, they test a person’s urine. 

Point-of-care tests are affordable and provide fast results. They are also accurate and can be a good first step for employers. 

Laboratory-Based Tests

Laboratory-based tests provide more comprehensive information, but they must be performed by a drug screening company. This may require sending your employees to a lab for their drug or alcohol screening.

Some companies also provide on-site laboratory testing. They’ll set up a time to come to your workplace to perform the tests. This is a great idea if you want to perform random drug tests on your employees. 

The companies that offer these also provide other testing types, including:

• Paternity DNA testing
• Hair follicle drug testing
• Alcohol testing
• Mouth swab drug tests
• STD tests
• DOT drug testing 
• Allergy tests

These companies use various testing types, and the results are very accurate. 

How Do You Ensure Accurate and Reliable Results?

Performing drug screenings is important for many reasons, but you must take the necessary steps to ensure that you receive accurate and reliable results. Here are some tips to follow:

Choose a Reputable Company

While you can purchase drug tests to issue yourself, hiring a reputable company provides the best results. These companies use effective strategies for collecting specimens and performing the screenings. 

You can trust these testing strategies for all types of screenings. 

Give Your Employees Clear Instructions

Drug screenings require steps, and every employee must follow them. Failing to follow the steps could lead to inaccurate or inconclusive results. It could also improve the chances of false negatives or positives. 

Monitor the Tests

Monitoring the tests is also important if you issue them yourself. If you hire a company to do the screenings, they will monitor the process, alleviating you from the responsibility.   

How Do You Interpret the Results?

Most 8 panel tests provide results that state either positive or negative. There is no in-between. 

However, there are times that a test might have a false negative or positive. You can ask the drug screening company how likely false results occur and how to respond to them.

In some cases, employers will issue another screening if this happens to verify the initial screening’s accuracy. 

Are There Legal and Ethical Considerations?

Before instituting a workplace drug screening policy, you must learn your state’s laws. Every state has laws relating to workplace drug screenings, and these are designed to protect employees.

Most states have the following policies:

Inform Employees and Applicants

Employers must outline the drug screening procedures used, and they must inform the employees and applicants. The purpose is to ensure that every employee understands how your drug screening policies work. 

Use Fair Methods for Random Testing

Next, you must create and follow fair methods for random testing. If your company wants to randomly test employees for drugs or alcohol, make sure you have a system that lets you randomly choose employees.

If you don’t set this up and target the same employees every month, they may sue you for discrimination. 

Hire a Reputable Company

Hiring a third party to handle this aspect of your company is the best option. They will handle everything from randomly choosing employees to performing the screenings. 

Hiring it out takes the duties and stress off you while providing professional results. 

Implement an 8 Panel Drug Test Requirement

Implementing procedures to improve workplace safety is vital for all employers. Drug tests are one of the best options, and using an 8 panel drug test is a popular method.

Do you need help with employee drug testing? Look no further.

ReliaLab Test provides drug testing services, DNA tests, and background checks. Our tests offer accurate, secure, and timely results, and our staff has over 50 years of combined experience.

We are affiliated with the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association and other highly recognized organizations and aim to help companies improve their workplace safety. Reach out today to learn more.