Crisis in drug testing. Results of CDC blind study

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In response to questions about the reliability of the results of screening urine for drugs, the performance of 13 laboratories was evaluated, which served a total of 262 methadone treatment facilities, by submitting prereferenced samples through the treatment facilities as patient samples (blind testing). Error rates for the 13 laboratories on samples containing barbiturates, amphetamines, methadone, cocaine, codeine and morphine ranged from 11-94%, 19-100%, 0-33%, 0-100%, 0-100%, and 5-100%, respectively. Similarly, error rates on samples not containing these drugs (false-positives) ranged from 0-6%, 0-37%, 0-66%, 0-6%, 0-7% and 0-10%, respectively. Greater care was taken with known evaluation samples than with routine samples. Laboratories were often unable to detect drugs at concentrations called for by their contracts. The observed underrporting of drugs may threaten the treatment process. Drug treatment facilities should monitor the performance of their contract laboratories with quality-control samples, preferably through blind testing.