Frequently Asked Questions
Forensic Testing FAQs
Urine Toxicology Testing FAQs
Please refer to the Contact Us or call CTR Labs at 240-397-7060.
CTR can analyze plant material, powders, capsules, pills, tablets, blotter papers, liquids, crystalline material, mushrooms, pipes residue and other paraphernalia. If you have a specific item please call and we can discuss testing options.
CTR laboratory can analyze both blood and urine for most cases.
Yes all submitted samples for forensic testing require a chain of custody which will be maintained by the laboratory throughout the testing process.
Yes but only to support the client samples that were tested in our laboratory.
Test results are being transmitted via encrypted email or through our secure web portal.
Refer to the Contact Us page or call 240-397-7060.
Urine screening results via EIA are usually available within 24 hours upon delivery to the lab. LC/MS confirmation results will be available within 72 hours upon delivery to the lab.
We recommend that a sample be sent in within 72 hours of collection. We will accept specimens after this period, but please be advised that specimens will degrade over time and this could affect the detectability of certain drugs. If specimens cannot be shipped within that time period, you may refrigerate the sample for up to 7 days.
10ml
Under normal situations fresh urine will display a temperature between 90 and 100 degrees. Specimens with a temperature out of range may indicate a substituted or adulterated sample.
Pending reports will be available via the web portal. For example, a pending report may show screen results, but incomplete confirmation results will be displayed as "pending."
The best way to recieve reports is through the web portal, but fax and email through our HIPAA compliant vehicles are also available.
Results are only highlighted red when they are inconsistent with the prescribed medications. This is true for both positive and negative results.
Cutoffs are the lowest measurable levels of concentration in which a compound is detectable in the specimen. These levels are specific to each drug and determined by CTR's team.
Screens use antibodies to detect the presence of a wide range of drugs, whereas, confirmation analysis looks for a specific compound. Furthermore, although very selective, screens can cross-react with structurally similar compounds and give a false positive. Confirmation testing is not subject to this cross-reactivity.
If a prescribed medication was not listed on your patient’s lab report, that typically means it wasn’t selected on the patient requisition form that accompanied the sample.
This means Quantity Not Sufficient. The volume of the submitted specimen is not enough to complete the ordered test or tests.
Our in-depth Drug Information Material breaks down the retention times for a wide range of drugs. Here you can find information about specific drugs and their detection times. Click Here to view the Drug Detection Time Window Chart.
No, there are some downsides to consider when choosing oral collection vs urine. The disadvantage is that antibodies in most commercially available immunoassay drug screen tests, including ours, target metabolites. Metabolites are not found in oral fluid. In addition, drugs that are ingested orally (like ethanol) as well as those that can be smoked (i.e., methamphetamine, PCP, marijuana, and cocaine) may be detected in high concentrations in oral fluid following recent use due to residual drugs remaining in the oral cavity. However, under these circumstances, results may not be accurate because the drug concentration found in the oral fluid may not reflect the blood-drug concentration.
Refer to the "Order Supplies" page on this website and fill out the required fields. Supplies typically arrive within 2-3 business days.