Point-of-Care testing for drugs of abuse

The United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) estimated that 246 million people between the ages of 15 and 64 years used an illicit drug in 2013. The advantages of point-of-care testing (POCT) for drugs of abuse are the ability to have results without delay and reduced cost of testing. Urine and oral fluid (saliva) are the preferred matrix analysed by POCT drugs of abuse devices, which use immuno-chromatography to detect the drug or drug metabolite. A range of devices is available for POC drug testing, from simple dipsticks, to cups with incorporated test strips, to instrument-based readers. POCT for drugs of abuse can be used in roadside drugs testing, workplace testing, judicial drug testing and rehabilitation clinics. The limitation of POCT for drugs of abuse is that a positive result needs confirmatory testing by a laboratory.