Drug test

How does the Drugs Test work?

For the Drug Test, you take a small blood sample from your fingertip with a lancet. Only a few drops of blood are needed for this. Collect the drops on a dry blood card – this way, you really only have to take very little blood, and the sample will keep for a longer time.

The sample is sent free of charge to a specialised medical laboratory via a return envelope. The laboratory analyses your blood sample for traces of the 31 substances and 27 drugs.

After the analysis, you will receive a notification, and you will be able to access the results report via logging in to your account on our website or the My cerascreen® app.

When should I take the drug test?

The cerascreen® Drug Test can detect substances that you have taken in the 48 hours before the sample was taken. You should therefore take the test if you want to have traces of the tested drugs, narcotics and medications from the last two days detected.

Please note: Keep a drug test handy at home. This way, you can take a sample quickly when you need to.

What do the results of the Drug Test tell me?

The Drug Test results report tells you for each of the 27 drugs and 31 substances tested whether it was detected or not. If it was detected, you will also find out the measured concentration in nanogrammes per millilitre of blood (ng/ml).

Why is it a blood test and not a urine test?

The cerascreen® Drug Test is designed to provide the most reliable measurement results possible. A blood test is best suited for this.

The blood test, as we perform it, is also used by authorities to test for drug use. For example, the blood tests are used to confirm a positive urine rapid test in a police check by laboratory diagnostics.

Which substances does the Drug Test screen for?

The cerascreen® Drug Test measures a total of 31 different substances. Here, you will find a list of all tested drugs, narcotics and medications in alphabetical order.

• Alprazolam is used to treat panic attacks and anxiety disorders.
• Amphetamines are used to treat attention deficit disorders. They are more colloquially known as ‘speed’.
• Codeine belongs to the opiate group and is used as a painkiller.
• Clonazepam and 7-aminoclonazepam belong to the group of benzodiazepines. They have an anti-anxiety and sedative effect and are used as sleeping pills and as a drug for epilepsy.
• Diazepam is used for the short-term treatment of anxiety. It used to be known as ‘Valium’. Nordiazepam is a degradation product of diazepam, but is also used for the therapy of anxiety.
• Ecstasy (MDMA, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine) is a psychoactive substance known primarily as a party drug.
• Fentanyl is a strong sedative painkiller that is used for chronic pain and for anaesthesia, among other things.
• Flunitrazepam is used to treat sleeping disorders. 7-Aminoflunitrazepam is a metabolite of flunitrazepam.
• Heroin is a highly addictive drug. Its metabolite 6-acetylmorphine is measured.
• Hydroxyzine is used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders, among other things.
• Cocaine is a narcotic drug with a strong stimulating effect. Benzoylecgonines are metabolites of cocaine.
• Lorazepam is a sedative that is used, among other things, for sleep disorders.
• MDA (3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine) and MDEA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine) are metabolites of MDMA.
• Mephedrone (4-MMC) is a psychoactive substance.
• Methamphetamines are known colloquially as ‘crystal meth’. In some countries (e.g. the USA), they are still prescribed today to treat ADHD in adults.
• Methadone is an active substance with analgesic effects that is used, among other things, to treat withdrawal symptoms in heroin addicts.
• Morphine is an opiate that is considered a very strong painkiller.
• Oxazepam is a drug used for anxiety disorders.
• Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the best-known active ingredients of the cannabis plant. THC has an effect on the psyche (euphoria, anxiety), while CBD is said to have a relaxing effect. The cerascreen® Drug Test detects a total of six parameters: THC, cannabidiol and two metabolites each.
• Tramadol is prescribed for severe pain.
• Zolpidem is used in the short-term treatment of sleeping disorders.

Which substances are considered drugs?

In English, the term ‘drugs’ is generally used somewhat broadly. It also generally includes medicines and narcotics. Some drugs that are approved as medicines can also be misused as intoxicants and become addictive. In the context of this Drug Test, however, we are classing drugs as illegal intoxicants and narcotics.

These include amphetamines (speed), heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines (crystal meth) and MDMA, which are also examined in the cerascreen® Drug Test. Many of these drugs were once developed as medicines, but are no longer used in medicine today because they are quickly addictive and have strong side effects. Amphetamines are an exception – similar substances are still used in Ritalin, for example, which is prescribed for ADHD.

For whom is the test not suitable?

The Drug Test is not suitable for or is only suitable to a limited extent for certain groups of people:

• People with infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV, are not allowed to take the Drug Test.
• People with haemophilia should not take the Drug Test.
• The Drug Test is not suitable for children under 18 years of age.

The test is not intended for diagnosing illness. For example, if you suspect you are suffering from drug or substance addiction, seek medical advice.