🧪Specimen Types & Special Tests

Can mobile phlebotomy be used for drug and alcohol testing?

Yes. Mobile phlebotomy services can conduct drug and alcohol specimen collections for employment, legal, and clinical purposes.

Types of drug testing collections:

Urine drug screening (most common):

  • The phlebotomist or qualified collector supervises the urine collection process
  • Specimen is split into primary and split bottles, sealed, and sent to a SAMHSA-certified lab
  • Can be collected in any private restroom
  • Blood alcohol testing:

  • Requires venipuncture to collect blood in a specific tube (usually a gray top / sodium fluoride)
  • Used for forensic, workplace post-incident, and clinical purposes
  • Must follow strict chain-of-custody procedures
  • Oral fluid testing:

  • Saliva collected using a validated oral fluid device
  • Increasingly used as a non-invasive alternative to urine
  • DOT vs. non-DOT:

  • DOT-regulated (trucking, aviation, railroad, pipeline, transit): Must follow 49 CFR Part 40 exactly. Only DOT-trained Collector and SAMHSA-certified labs. The mobile collector must hold DOT Collector certification.
  • Non-DOT: More flexibility. Any certified collector and accredited lab can be used.
  • Scheduling:

    For random drug testing programs, mobile collectors can be deployed on short notice (same day in many markets). For pre-employment, next-day is typical.