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What is an OPI on a Drug Screen?

Drug screening is used to check for illicit substance use, as well as prescription substances which are prone to abuse and addiction. Drug testing kits use abbreviations to indicate the drug being screened, such as TCH for marijuana, COC for Cocaine or AMP for amphetamines. A drug screen checking for opiates is abbreviated with OPI. Drug testing may be used to check for substances individually or may test for a range of substances at the same time.

  1. Types of Opiates

    • Opiates are pain reducing drugs derived from the resin of the poppy plant. Physicians may prescribe opiates to patients suffering from pain due to an injury, disease or surgery. Codeine, Darvon, Methadone, Morphine, Percodan, Dilaudid and Demerol are opiate analgesics well known to the medical community. Though prescription medications, these drugs have addictive properties which make them likely to be abused. (Reference 1) Cocaine and opium are illicit forms of opiates well known as habit forming substances.

    Detection

    • Opiates can be detected on urine screening tests. Urine drug screening kits are commonly used by employers for randomly testing employees for opiates and other substances. Urine screening tests contain embedded testing strips which react with urine as it is placed inside the cup. The opiate testing strip is designed to indicate a positive result if the urine contains 2000 nanograms of opiate per milliliter of urine. Blood and saliva tests may also be used to screen for opiates.

    Time Frame

    • Opiates can be detected in the urine a minimum of two hours after ingestion, with a maximum of three days after use. Many factors determine how long an opiate will remain detectable after ingestion, including the weight of the individual, body mass, age, gender and overall health status, as individuals with higher body mass and age may metabolize opiates slower than younger, healthier people. (Reference 1)

    Oxycodone Testing

    • Oxycodone is an opiate drug, however is not derived from the poppy plant and contains different properties than poppy-based opiates. Oxycodone drug testing, noted as OXY on a drug screen, contains a separate testing strip which can detect higher levels of opiates than a standard OPI test. Also known as Percocet, Roxicodone and Oxycontin, Oxycodone-based medications are often prescribed for pain treatment and are prone to being misused.

    False Positive

    • Opiate detection will not occur due to over-the-counter medications, such as cold medications or pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, though some prescription medications may indicate opiate use. Additionally, eating foods containing poppy seeds, such as a poppy seed muffin, will not trigger a positive result on an opiate drug test.

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