Drug Test Cups & Screens

How to choose a panel count

Panel count is the number of substances a device screens for. A 5-panel covers the SAMHSA-5 — amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, PCP and THC. Most clinical and treatment-program buyers run 12 to 14 panels, adding benzodiazepines, buprenorphine, methadone, oxycodone, barbiturates and methamphetamine. Programs monitoring for synthetic and emerging substances go higher, to 18 or 22. Buying a higher panel count than you need raises cost per test without improving your program; buying too low means sending confirmations to a reference lab.

Jump straight to the configurations at each panel count:

• 5 panel drug tests
• 6 panel drug tests
• 10 panel drug tests
• 12 panel drug tests
• 13 panel drug tests
• 14 panel drug tests
• mouth swab drug tests
• fentanyl and EtG test strips

Adulterant checks and temperature strips

Adulterant panels detect dilution, oxidants, pH manipulation and creatinine levels — the common methods of defeating a urine screen. An integrated temperature strip confirms a specimen was produced within the collection window. If your program has any diversion-control obligation, both are worth specifying; they cost very little per unit and they close the two most common gaps.

How to read a drug test cup

Each test strip shows a control line and a test line. A visible control line confirms the device worked. Two lines — control and test — indicate a negative result for that substance, even if the test line is faint. A single control line with no test line indicates a preliminary positive. No control line means the test is invalid and must be repeated, regardless of what the test lines show. Read within the time window printed on the device; results read after that window are not reliable.

Regulatory status

Regulatory status varies by product. Most configurations we stock are CLIA-waived; some are Employment & Insurance (E&I) Exempt, and configurations that include analytes such as EtG, fentanyl, tramadol, kratom, ketamine or K2 are For Forensic Use Only. Each product page states its status — check it before specifying for a diagnostic or employment workflow. These devices provide a preliminary analytical result; a more specific alternate chemical method is required to obtain a confirmed result, and confirmation should use GC/MS or LC/MS. For programs with diversion-control obligations, see our guide to safe drug deactivation and diversion control.

Ordering

Cups, flat cups and oral swab tests are sold by the case, 50 or 100 tests. Dip cards are sold by the case, 50 or 100 cards. Test strips come 100, 500 or 3,000 per case. Sold to verified facilities from a single case upward, with no minimum order. Prices are shown on every page — create an account to place an order, and approval is instant.

Reference: the SAFElife urine test cups flyer. To move a specimen from a collection cup to a lab tube, pair with a 7 mL disposable transfer pipette.