While confirmatory urine drug tests such as gas or liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry offer higher sensitivity and specificity and can provide qualitative and quantitative information, they are much more costly and can take days to weeks for results. This delay in results impacts the utility of confirmatory urine drug tests. Point-of-care immunoassays, in contrast, can provide real-time data to inform treatment and support shared decision-making.
Sources:
Beck O, Carlsson S, Tusic M, Olsson R, Franzen L, Hulten P. Laboratory and clinical evaluation of on-site urine drug testing. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2014 Nov; 74(8):681–6. PMID: 25046332.
British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, BC Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions. Urine Drug Testing in Patients Prescribed Opioid Agonist Treatment— Breakout Resource. Published July 28, 2021.