CHC Labs, LLC. -

Attention Administrators, Director of Nursing and Medical Directors

***DRUGS OF ABUSE TESTING UPDATE ***

The charge for most “SERUM Drugs of Abuse” testing falls between $270 - $300. The reason these charges are so high is URINE is the preferred specimen upon which Drug of Abuse testing should be preformed. Due to the prohibitive cost CHC Labs will not perform any Serum Drugs of Abuse testing unless documentation (separate from the requisition) is received confirming the facility will be responsible for this expensive charge. Documentation not received will result in a cancellation of the test.

Why is Urine preferred over Blood (Serum)?

Urine specimens generally contain detectable levels of drugs over an extended period of time at much higher concentrations than in blood. Urine may also contain higher levels of drug metabolites than blood, providing further evidence of drug use. Drugs and drug metabolites found in urine are usually more stable. Urine analysis is relatively simple because of the absence of proteins and cellular material found in urine. Urine is also the preferred specimen for drug testing because it is non-invasive (in contrast to drawing a blood specimen, an invasive procedure which may require patient consent).

Drug levels in blood only reflect the presence of a drug at a given point in time, and levels may be high enough to be detected only for a relatively short period of time.

At CHC we constantly strive to provide you the best laboratory testing keeping in mind the costs of services. We have found that most Serum Drug of Abuse tests are ordered inadvertently absent the knowledge that Urine is the preferred specimen methodology.

If you have any questions, please contact a manager at the laboratory