Who will administer my urine drug testing?

When you take a urine drug test, it may be administered by either a trained collector or a medical professional.

Will someone watch me pee for a urine drug test?

Urine specimens for drug testing must be collected and transferred to a laboratory for analysis, and strict protocols must be followed. Many organizations that provide workplace drug testing services train and employ personnel to administer the collection process at employer worksites. In other instances, employees may be sent to a medical facility to provide a sample supervised by the facility's on-site staff. Generally, the sample is given in a bathroom in private without the collector observing the void. When the provision of a specimen must be visually monitored, rules governing workplace urine drug testing require that any non-medical collection observer be the same gender as the person providing the specimen.

In the workplace setting, a "collector" or "collection site person" usually conducts the urine drug test to ensure the integrity of the process. Urine drug testing performed pursuant to mandatory federal drug testing rules must be monitored by a trained collector. Federal workplace drug testing rules further provide that except under exigent circumstances, an immediate supervisor or hiring official may not act as the collector for an employee's or applicant's urine drug test. Co-workers who are in the same testing pool, work with an employee daily, or are a relative of the employee may not serve as a collector for that employee's urine drug test either.

Who knows which sample is mine?

Urine specimens are sent for testing using an assigned specimen identification number so that the individual test subject cannot be identified by laboratory personnel. For privacy reasons, a laboratory employee who, because of their position, would be able to connect individual test subjects with their samples cannot serve as a collector.

Are collectors trained?

Collectors administering urine drug tests must not only monitor the physical collection process but also instruct the test subject and prepare the necessary paperwork to validate the chain of custody for the test specimen. The collector will also perform an initial screening test to assess the specimen for signs of adulteration. Collectors must engage in regular training and review to ensure that they remain familiar with the appropriate collection procedures for urine drug testing and privacy.