The 7-drug panel is a standard drug screening test that detects the presence of seven commonly abused substances in urine, blood, or saliva. The panel typically includes:
Barbiturates: Sedative-hypnotics used for anxiety or sleep, detectable for 2–7 days.
Cocaine: A stimulant, detectable for 2–4 days (up to 2 weeks for heavy use).
Cannabis (THC): Psychoactive compound in marijuana, detectable for 2–30 days depending on usage.
Opiates: Includes morphine, heroin, and codeine, detectable for 1–4 days.
Amphetamines: Stimulants like Adderall, detectable for 1–3 days.
Benzodiazepines: Sedatives like Valium or Xanax, detectable for 1–7 days (up to 6 weeks for long-acting types).
Methamphetamine (Meth): A potent stimulant, detectable for 1–5 days.
Purpose: Used for employment screening, legal cases, or medical evaluations to identify recent drug use. Results are typically qualitative (positive/negative), with cutoff levels (e.g., 50–100 ng/mL) to minimize false positives. Factors like metabolism, hydration, and test sensitivity affect detection windows. Confirmation with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is standard for positive results.