Standard 12-panel tests are becoming drug testing kits of choice among many American employers. However, this isn’t without controversy.

False-positive test results can and do occur occasionally. With a standard 12-panel drug test, this is known to be a possibility for users of products as innocuous as Vicks inhalers. Here, we’ll, therefore, look at everything you need to know about testing.

What Drugs Does 12-Panel Test Identify?

Until recently, it was typical for U.S. employers to use 5-panel drug test kits or a mouth swab drug test to screen employees for evidence of illicit drug use. Using urine analysis, these tests identify metabolites associated with recent use of amphetamines, marijuana, cocaine, and various opiates. to screen employees for evidence of illicit drug use. Using urine analysis, these tests identify metabolites associated with recent use of amphetamines, marijuana, cocaine, and various opiates.

A Standard 12-panel drug test is different from a 5-panel test, in that kits test for a wide range of prescription medications like oxycodone.

• Tests use urine analysis to test for all illicit substances in a standard 5-panel drug test.
• As well as illicit drugs, 12-panel tests check for med signals associated with methadone, barbiturates, benzodiazepine, methamphetamine, and MDMA.
• 12-panel tests also check for buprenorphine and oxycodone.

Why are Standard 12-Panel Drug Tests Controversial?

Why using 12-panel drug test kits in the workplace is controversial is simple. As well as occasional false-positive results, there can be genuine medial reasons why employees might test positive for some substances.

Buprenorphine (commonly known as Suboxone) is an opiate-based drug that provides pain relief. However, Suboxone is also increasingly used to treat illicit and accidental opiate addiction. This is thanks to the fact buprenorphine blocks opiate receptors in the brain, thereby inhibiting opiate urges.

• Studies show that taking Suboxone over a 12-week period increases rates of recovery from opiate painkiller addiction by 49%.
• Unlike when using methadone, Suboxone users often achieve lasting sobriety when treatment periods are over.
• Other drugs like barbiturates are commonly prescribed by doctors to treat common workplace disorders like depression and anxiety. While drugs can be abused, they are more commonly used for legitimate medical reasons.

Sadly, employers who ask employees to submit to standard 12-panel drug tests, are the most likely to have a zero-drugs policy.

What Happens if You Fail a Drugs Test?

What happens if you fail a standard 12-panel drug test at work, will be up to your employer.

You might think that if you have a legitimate reason for taking a drug you test positive for, your employer will understand. However, this won’t always be the case.

Many employers put policies in place in advance of testing, that say they have no obligation to accommodate any employee using controlled substances. (For any reason.) This means that you can potentially put your job at risk, by even so much as disclosing your use of drugs like Suboxone voluntarily in advance of testing.

How to Fight Back Against Testing with Synthetic Urine

Is your employer starting to roll out 12-panel drug testing? If so, there is a way to negate the possibility of false-positive results and possible dismissal.

Quick Fix synthetic urine, as stated by MedSignals, can ensure that you pass drug tests, even if otherwise you might test positive. Quick Fix is also legal in most states. However, to assure that any synthetic urine you buy is genuine, it is important to only order products from reputable retailers.

Thousands of U.S. employees are arbitrarily dismissed every year as a result of workplace drug testing. Don’t be one of them.