How Long Does Pre-Employment Drug Screening Take?

Drug testing is vital to ensure your candidate is a match for your workplace. Despite this, many HR professionals and recruiters are unfamiliar with the process and timeline surrounding pre-employment drug screening.

Pre-employment drug screening can feel like a major waiting game in the hiring process. You might be wondering, how long does it really take? By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to address the timeline of drug testing when it comes to choosing your candidates for open positions, including the types of drug tests available and the time it takes to receive both positive and negative results.

What Is Pre-Employment Drug Screening?

Before hiring candidates, it’s standard practice to screen for a variety of common drugs to assist with workplace safety, compliance with laws and regulations, and risk reduction. 

As an HR or recruiting professional, you should be familiar with how pre-employment drug screening works and how it benefits your organization. For example, most employees are given 24-hour notice before being screened for drugs, but some candidates might be subject to random testing based on their workplace agreements.

When creating a drug testing plan for your organization, consider the 5 Most Accurate Practices for Drug Testing to establish an effective workflow. In your plan, you might also wish to consider the cost of these services. 

Different Types of Drug Tests Used in Pre-Employment Screening

In the drug testing process, you can expect one of two common types of tests: a 5-panel Drug Test or a 10-panel Drug Test. 

The 5-panel Test is the most common type of pre-employment drug screening. It evaluates candidates for metabolites linked to 5 of the most commonly used drugs that can affect workplace safety. These include amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, PCP, and THC.

As the name suggests, the 10-panel Test is slightly more comprehensive. This test includes the detection of metabolites linked to amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, PCP, THC, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, methadone, methaqualone, and propoxyphene.

These tests can be performed through a variety of methods, as outlined below.

Urine Tests

Urine tests are a popular form of pre-employment drug screening. The detection window for urine drug screening tests is between 1 – 4 days for most substances. 

Advantages include the cost-effectiveness and popularity of this method, making it widely available nationwide. These are also the only types of drug tests that are federally approved.

Though urine tests boast many advantages for employers, there are also concerns over the risk of contamination. This is because most individuals are not observed for the sample collection process. 

Saliva Tests

Saliva drug screening tests are also a popular method used by employers. This method provides a detection window of 48 hours after an individual’s drug use. 

This method’s benefits include its ability to be performed under direct observation (reducing the risk of tampering), its cost-effectiveness, and its suitability for high-volume testing. Because of the shorter detection window, saliva tests are often used for random testing.

Hair Tests

Drug screening tests conducted on hair follicles have a longer detection window than other methods. Because these tests are also administered by a technician, they reduce the risk of fraud. 

Due to the longer detection window combined with the fact that they are more invasive, they can also be more costly. Plus, it’s important to note that with hair testing, results may not detect recent use within 5-7 days of administering the test. 

Though each testing method has a detection window, the different drug windows can also vary. The following list includes commonly tested substances and their associated detection windows for urine tests, according to the American Addiction Center.

• Amphetamines: Around 3 days
• Cannabinoids: Up to 4 days for casual users and several weeks for chronic users
• Cocaine: Around 3 days
• Opiates: Ranges between 1 to 7 days 
• Phencyclidine: About 1 week
• Benzodiazepines: Between 2 days and 2 weeks
• Barbiturates: Between 3 days and 2 weeks
• Methadone: Around 3 days

For a comprehensive list, review the Detection Time in Urine for Various Drugs chart. 

How Long Does Pre-Employment Drug Screening Usually Take?

While many factors go into the drug screening process that might affect the time it takes to receive results, there are two main outcomes: positive and negative results.

Negative drug screening test results typically return from the lab within 24-48 hours.

Positive results, however, might take a little longer. This is because once drugs are detected as present, the sample must undergo another round of testing to determine the type and quantity of drug or drug metabolites in the sample. This process can take a few days (typically 3-4). 

Factors That Affect How Long Pre-employment Drug Screening Can Take

While the time it takes to get your candidate’s test results back might vary, many factors impact the timeline, including:

Testing Dates

Your candidate’s testing date will likely depend on their availability. To speed up the process, you might decide to implement a shorter testing window before proceeding with the hiring process.

Lab Processing Times

Labs can experience a slowdown in their processing times due to high volume, understaffing, or technical issues. 

Positive or Inconclusive Test Results

You might be dealing with a positive or inconclusive test result. These results typically take 3-4 days to return from the lab because they have to undergo several testing rounds.

Lab or Sample Errors

Errors in sample labeling, form submission, or paperwork could make your test results backlogged.

Unless you have heard of potential delays directly, a follow-up might be necessary if you haven’t heard back from the lab within a week of the test administration date. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take To Hear Back From a Pre-employment Drug Test?

While negative drug screening tests can take as little as 24-48 hours, positive or inconclusive results might take a little longer (from a few days to a week) because they must undergo several rounds of testing.

Why Is My Pre-employment Drug Test Taking So Long?

If you feel like the results from your candidate’s drug test are taking especially long, a few factors could be at play. You might be at the mercy of slow lab processing times, lab or sample errors, or you might be dealing with a positive or inconclusive test result.

How Long Does It Take To Get the Results Back From a Urine Drug Test?

Urine drug tests typically have a relatively short turnaround window. After testing, you can expect negative test results to be available between 24-48 hours. If your sample is positive or inconclusive, results might take longer (from a few days to a week). 

Final Thoughts

Ensuring workplace safety is crucial to developing a strong productivity environment and reducing liability among employees. Testing an employee’s saliva, hair, or urine for commonly abused drugs can minimize liability in the hiring process.

Whether results come back negative within 24 hours or take a little longer, you’ll be glad you decided to source information reliably about the potential candidate for your position.

Whether you’re opting for the commonly used 5-Panel Drug Test or the more comprehensive 10-Panel Test, ScoutLogic’s employment drug testing services will provide you with an accurate way to create a safe working environment through drug screening services. 

David Garcia

David Garcia, co-founder and CEO of Scout Logic, is an industry leader in the bulk background check world. With his strategic acumen and expertise in the HR sphere, specifically in hiring, recruiting, legal compliance, background checks, and resume screening, he’s an invaluable asset and consultant.

David's counsel extends across the boards of ScoutLogic, YipitData, and Supplier.io, drawing from his impactful stints on the boards of Infutor and Avetta. With an extensive 25-year journey, he champions unparalleled B2B commercial leadership within data & analytics, significantly shaping the HR landscape.