- July 26, 2026
How to Choose the Right Drug Testing Panel for Your Organisation
How to Choose the Right Drug Testing Panel for Your Organisation
Choosing an appropriate drug testing panel is an important part of establishing a relevant and proportionate testing process.
A drug testing panel determines which drugs or drug groups a test is designed to screen for. Selecting a panel that does not reflect the organisation’s actual risks may result in irrelevant substances being included while important substances are overlooked.
There is no single panel that is suitable for every workplace, healthcare service or safety-critical environment. Selection should be based on the purpose of testing, the organisation’s risk assessment, its policy and the substances of concern.
What is a drug testing panel?
A drug testing panel is the combination of drugs or drug metabolites included within a test.
Depending on the product, a panel might include drug groups such as:
- Amphetamines
- Benzodiazepines
- Buprenorphine
- Cannabis
- Cocaine
- Ketamine
- Methadone
- Methamphetamine
- Opiates
- Tramadol
This is not an exhaustive list, and availability varies between products. Organisations should check the exact analytes, abbreviations and cut-off levels shown in the manufacturer’s instructions.
Virex Drug Cups are available with different panel configurations for professional testing requirements.
Begin with the purpose of testing
Before choosing a panel, establish why testing is being considered.
Possible testing circumstances include:
- Pre-employment screening
- Random workplace testing
- For-cause testing
- Post-incident testing
- Return-to-work testing
- Healthcare assessment or monitoring
- Rehabilitation and treatment support
- Safety-critical risk management
The purpose can affect the substances selected, the most appropriate specimen, how the result should be interpreted and whether laboratory confirmation may be needed.
Consider the organisation’s risk profile
A testing panel should be relevant to the risks present within the organisation or service.
Questions to consider include:
- Are employees performing safety-critical work?
- Have particular substances been identified through previous incidents?
- Are there sector-specific requirements or client expectations?
- Is testing intended for general screening or targeted monitoring?
- Are prescription medicines relevant to the testing context?
- Could new or emerging substances create an additional risk?
- Would a non-negative result lead to disciplinary, safeguarding or clinical action?
The HSE advises employers to consider the safety-critical elements of their operations, including activities such as driving, operating machinery, using electrical equipment or working at height. HSE
Match the panel to the organisation’s policy
A drug testing panel should not be selected separately from the organisation’s drug and alcohol policy.
The policy should explain:
- The purpose of testing
- The circumstances in which testing may occur
- Who may be tested
- Which drugs or drug groups may be included
- Which specimens may be collected
- How consent will be managed
- How screening results will be interpreted
- When laboratory confirmation is required
- How results and personal information will be protected
- What actions or support may follow
The HSE states that organisations can benefit from an agreed drug and alcohol policy and that testing arrangements can be included within the wider health and safety policy. HSE
Virex Diagnostics can also provide professional support with the development and review of workplace drug and alcohol policies.
[INTERNAL LINK: Link “workplace drug and alcohol policies” to the Drug & Alcohol Policy Support service page.]
Understand what each panel detects
Drug panels may be labelled using abbreviations such as COC for cocaine, THC for cannabis or OPI for opiates. However, the precise target compound or metabolite can differ between products.
Organisations should check:
- The complete name of each test
- The drug or metabolite it detects
- The cut-off level
- The specimen type
- Potential cross-reactivity information
- The specified reading time
- The product’s intended use
- Storage and expiry requirements
A panel description should not be interpreted only from its abbreviation. The manufacturer’s instructions should always be checked before the product is used.
Consider the cut-off levels
A cut-off level is the concentration used by the test to distinguish between a negative and non-negative screening result.
Cut-off levels can vary according to:
- The substance being tested
- The specimen type
- The product
- The purpose of testing
- The testing framework or guideline being followed
A lower numerical cut-off does not automatically mean that a product is better. The cut-off must be appropriate for the intended purpose, and the organisation must understand how the result will be interpreted.
For workplace testing, EWDTS guidance can provide a useful reference point when developing an appropriate and defensible process.
[EXTERNAL LINK: Link “EWDTS guidance” to the EWDTS Guidelines page.]
Choose an appropriate specimen type
Different specimen types provide different practical advantages and limitations.
Urine
Urine is widely used for drug screening and can be collected using an integrated cup or separate collection container. It generally contains drugs or metabolites at concentrations suitable for screening, but collection and specimen-integrity procedures must be properly managed.
Oral fluid
Oral fluid may be useful where directly observed collection is important. The available sample volume, drug concentrations and product characteristics differ from urine testing, so the panel and procedure must be selected specifically for oral-fluid use.
Hair
Hair can provide information relating to a longer historical period, but it is normally analysed by a specialist laboratory rather than through a rapid point-of-care test.
Urine, oral fluid, blood, hair and several other specimens can be used for drug testing, but each is suited to different circumstances. SAMHSA
Decide whether specimen-integrity features are needed
Depending on the setting, organisations may require additional features to support specimen assessment.
These may include:
- A built-in temperature strip
- Creatinine testing
- Specific-gravity testing
- pH testing
- Oxidant or adulterant checks
- Tamper-evident packaging
- Documented collection procedures
These features do not replace correct collection practices, but they may provide additional information when specimen integrity is important.
[INTERNAL LINK: Link “specimen-integrity features” to the specifications or variants table on the Virex Drug Cup page.]
Plan for non-negative results
Panel selection should include consideration of what will happen after a non-negative result.
Before testing begins, organisations should establish:
- Whether laboratory confirmation will be arranged
- Which laboratory will receive the specimen
- Whether the laboratory is appropriately accredited
- How the sample will be transported
- Whether documented chain-of-custody procedures are required
- Who will review the result
- How medication or legitimate explanations will be considered
- What actions can be taken under the organisation’s policy
[INTERNAL LINK: Link “laboratory confirmation” to the Laboratory Confirmation Services page.]
UKAS advises that toxicology accreditation schedules should be checked for the relevant purpose of analysis, as workplace, forensic and other forms of toxicology testing may involve different requirements. UKAS
[EXTERNAL LINK: Link “UKAS information on toxicology testing” to the UKAS Toxicology Testing page.]
Questions to ask before selecting a panel
Before purchasing a drug-testing product, consider the following:
- What is the purpose of the test?
- Which substances are relevant to our organisation?
- Does the panel match our policy?
- Is the specimen type appropriate?
- Are the cut-off levels suitable?
- Does the product include the required integrity features?
- Who will collect the sample and interpret the result?
- What will happen after a non-negative result?
- Is laboratory confirmation available where required?
- Have staff received suitable instructions or training?
These questions help ensure that the panel is selected because it meets a defined need rather than simply because it includes the greatest number of drugs.
Final thoughts
Choosing the right drug testing panel involves more than comparing how many test strips are included in a device.
The panel should reflect the purpose of testing, the substances of concern, the specimen type, the organisation’s policy and the procedure for managing results. Testing should remain relevant, proportionate and supported by laboratory confirmation where the circumstances require it.
A carefully selected panel can support clearer testing procedures, more informed decisions and greater confidence in the overall testing process.
This article provides general information and does not replace product instructions, legal advice, occupational-health advice or an organisation’s own testing policy.
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