Drug & Alcohol Screening

A urine sample is primarily used for drug and alcohol screening as it’s a simple and non-invasive procedure. Drugs are easily detected in urine, since the kidneys are the primary route by which drugs and their metabolites are excreted from the body.

Alcohol testing can be also be performed through a breath sample. This is preferred method of collection for DOT (Department of Transportation) requirements.

Samples can be collected at conveniently located patient service centres across B.C., Ontario and Saskatchewan. In Ontario we also offer mobile laboratory services for on-site specimen collections required at the employees’ place of work.

Our highly trained and certified technicians strictly adhere to confidential chain-of-custody processes and can provide DOT and non-DOT sample collection. The individual providing the sample will be asked to void into a collection container in a washroom that has been properly prepared in advance. The collection container will have a temperature indicator to ensure it’s a freshly voided sample. The specimen will be carefully labeled, sealed with tamper-evidence tape, and sealed in a tamper-evidence bag along with the completed chain-of-custody form before leaving the collection area.

The chain-of-custody process protects both the person having the test and the employer/ caseworker. The chain-of-custody process and form is a legal safeguard, since it may be challenged in the courts. The chain-of-custody form documents the proper transfer of the specimen from the time of collection through to processing at the laboratory.

For DOT collections, we use an affiliated laboratory, accredited by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Agency (SAMHSAA). Testing is performed in accordance with SAMHSAA regulations. Specimen validity test results are reported to the medical review officer (MRO) for interpretation.   Chain of Custody drug screens are collected and tested at BRL in BC and we are not SAMSHA accredited.  Almost all of the chain of custody testing in BC is performed out of our non SAMSHA lab. 

All positive results are reviewed by a certified scientist and confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). GC/MS is an extremely sensitive and accurate procedure that identifies each chemical compound by its unique molecular structure.

Non-DOT samples are collected using the chain of custody form and collection kit, however, samples are tested at our LifeLabs British Columbia non-SAMHSA accredited laboratory.

Hair testing for a 90-day drug use history is only available in Ontario for:

• Amphetamines (including Ecstasy)
• Cocaine
• Marijuana
• Opiates
• Phencyclidine (PCP)

Using FDA-cleared testing reagents. this lab-based test offers the advantages of easy specimen collection and highly accurate results that meet the same reference standards as urine testing. When compared with urine specimen testing, hair testing provides up to 2.5 times the number of positives and a longer detection window. Fast turnaround of results is also available: Negative results are reported within 24 hours of receipt at the laboratory, and positive results are confirmed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) within 48 to 72 hours.