Presently, lab based urine testing is the most recognized specimen type collected for federally regulated drug testing programs and for most private sector programs.

Lab based urine drug testing is currently viewed as the “Gold Standard” because of its proven accuracy, reliability, and fairness.

This “Gold Standard” is based on:

• Use of Forensic Custody and Control Procedures from specimen collection to the final analytical procedure in the laboratory
• Exhaustive quality assurance procedures for both the initial and continuing certification of the laboratories in the National Laboratory Certification Program
• Analytical procedures to ensure no false positive results and minimize false negative results
• Validity testing
• Review of laboratory positives by a trained Medical Review Officer (MRO) for alternative explanations and as another quality assurance reviewer of the entire process
• Procedures to ensure confidentiality of the donor throughout the process including the reporting of results to the employer