How to Pass a Drug Test for a Job

Avoiding a False Positive

Learn what tests you will be taking. There are many different types of drug tests, so be sure you know which specific tests you will be taking. Unfortunately, drug tests are not 100-percent accurate and can produce a "false positive" for numerous reasons. If you are an athlete, you may also be tested for substances that are not necessarily illegal, but that have been banned from athletic competition.

Be aware that certain over the counter medications and vitamins--even foods--can trigger a false positive. Ibuprofen (Advil, nuprin) used to produce a false positive for the narcotic marijuana, but this problem has been remedied and is no longer an issue. Yet, there still remain a number of foods, medications, vitamins and supplements that will produce a false positive. A teaspoon of poppy seeds is enough to produce a false-positive for opioids. This is less than one-poppy seed bagel. Many over-the-counter work-out supplements are banned from athletic competition. If you are an athlete, discuss your supplement options with your coach or trainer.

Research the limitations of the test(s) you will be taking. Find out how the test will be administered, and more specifically, try to find out what foods, vitamins, medications, and supplements have been known to trigger a false positive. The more you know about the specific tests you will be taking, the more you can actively defend yourself against a false positive. Prescription antidepressants, such as Zoloft, can also produce a false positive. Athletes should familiarize themselves with substances that have been banned from competition. A guide to substances that have been banned from competition can be found here.

Avoid the "substances" that produce a false positive. This can mean skipping your morning poppy-seed bagel, or opting to pass on any over-the-counter medications that can affect your test. But, it is a lot easier to prevent a false positive than it is to contest. Athletes should know that certain substances have been banned for use while competing, but are actually allowed during training.

Keep track of everything you consume. When you go in for your drug test, you will be asked to complete a list of all the foods, vitamins, medications, or other supplements that you have been taking. This will help the screening facility determine a false-positive from an actual positive test, and could be the difference between losing and keeping your job. Athletes who test positive for a banned substance--regardless of its legality--may face punitive action.

Drink lots of water. Increasing your fluid intake will help flush any of the substances that may produce a false positive (such as poppy-seed), so be sure to increase your fluid intake at least 24-hours before your scheduled examination.

Give a clean urine sample. You want to give the cleanest urine you can to avoid any false positives, so make sure that you do not provide your first urine of the day as a sample. Drink as much water as you can an hour-or-two before your test.

Contesting a False Positive

Learn the different legal categories of drug testing. Employers can administer drug testing before an employee is hired (pre-employment); on an annual basis; if there is reasonable suspicion; after an accident; or at random. Your right to contest will depend greatly on "when" the test was given.

Research and know your rights. Depending on your state of residency and the time of the drug test, your rights can vary drastically. For example, random drug testing in California is not considered legally valid because of its discriminatory basis. Pre-employment testing, however, is entirely valid. An employer can terminate your employment, or restrict any promotions for "positive" results. Depending on your location, the state can deny you unemployment benefits, working compensation, and disability benefits.

Meet with the human resources department. This is the first step to formally contesting your results. The human resources department will be able to inform you about any re-testing procedures; and will provide you with the paperwork that is required to proceed.

Contest the results with your employer. Provide them with all of the relevant paperwork, as well as the medical forms you filled out before you took the test. The process through which this contest is handled will depend greatly on the state of employment. List of everything you consumed. Any prescriptions.

Contest the results with the laboratory. As discussed above, a false positive can be triggered by various household foods, vitamins, over-the-counter medications and work-out supplements. But, a false positive can also be the result of human error and may be grounds for a retest. Mix-ups can occur at the laboratory facility where tests are evaluated. The laboratory itself may not be operating up to state standards. Testing methods may be out-of-date or antiquated. Samples could have been contaminated.

Contact an employment lawyer. If you believe that your test results are flawed, or that any of your rights have been violated during the testing process, you should get in direct contact with an employment lawyer in your area. This individual will be familiar with the local laws and regulations regarding drug testing, and will be able to guide you through any legal action that you may take.

Reducing the Chances of an Accurate Positive Result

Know how drug tests work. Drug tests are designed to locate specific chemical compositions in the bodies blood, urine or saliva that are thought to associated with a narcotic substance. Each of these tests is unique and is designed to screen for a specific drug or drug combination. For example, when being tested for marijuana laboratories will look specifically for the chemical THC. The more residual chemistry that you can flush from your system, the better your chances of avoiding a positive result. The length of time a drug remains in your system depends mainly on the drug itself. Detoxifying and flushing agents claim to wash your system free of the chemicals that will trigger a positive result, but since drug tests are constantly evolving and becoming more advanced--looking for different chemical compositions in the body--these products remain unreliable.

Identify what drugs you may have in your system and research how long each one remains. Knowing how long a drug may remain in your system is absolutely crucial to reducing the chances of testing positive. Marijuana can remain in your system for as long as eight-weeks, stored in your fat and hair cells. Cocaine, on the other hand, is typically flushed from the body within four days. Identify any drugs that you may have taken in the past six months.

Abstain from usage. The best way to pass a drug test is to allow sufficient time for any narcotic to be fully flushed from your system. But this can only happen if you abstain and give your body the proper amount of time that it needs to flush.

Delay the testing, if possible. Do your best to re-schedule or avoid being drug tested for as long as needed. Although this is more than likely not a possibility, it may be the only (legal) chance that you have to avoid a positive result.

Understand that cheating a drug test may be against the law. While detoxifying and flushing agents are not against the law, there are several other methods and products that have recently come to market that require performing an illegal act. These products include: Chemical spikes, which are sold legally in small vials, are added to the urine sample at the time of testing. Owning or purchasing the spike is not illegal, but adding it to your urine during your examination may violate local or state laws. Prosthetic penises are now available and are designed to not only store a clean urine sample, but also fool the watchful eye of any observer. Urine that is not your own.