FAQ
For all your Drug, Alcohol, DNA, and Lab Testing related inquiries, take a look below at the most common question we get from customers and website/location visitors. And of course, if you can't find what you need to know, don't hesitate to reach out to us!
This really depends on which test is being performed. Some blood tests, such as glucose and lipid tests, require fasting in order to be accurate, while other tests - such as antibody tests - can provide reliable results without fasting. If you don’t know whether or not your test requires fasting or any other special preparations, you can call us ahead of time so that we can determine the specific specimen requirements. If a fast is required, you will need to fast for about 10-12 hours before arriving for your blood collection. It’s okay to drink water and take your medication (unless your physician has instructed you otherwise) while fasting, but do not eat or drink anything else until your blood samples have been collected. It is also a good idea to avoid smoking, chewing gum, and performing intense exercise as these can alter some test results.
Each type of sample for drug testing has a different window of detection. This window reflects the historical time period that a particular sample type may include metabolites left over from drug metabolism that occurred prior to the day of sample collection. While detection depends on other factors such as type of drug, amount, frequency, etc., the general windows of detection are the following:
- Urine: 2-3 days
- Hair: Up to 3 months
- Fingernails/Toenails: Up to 6 months
- Oral fluid (saliva): 1-3 days
- Sweat/Skin Patch: Up to 14 days
- Passive Exposure: Up to 3 months
- Whole Blood: 1-3 days.
Yes! Our three general options are the “Basic”, “Comprehensive, and “Ultimate” health panels. The amount of useful clinical health information depends on the panel that you select.
- For men, we also have more specific health panels to include anti-aging, fertility, low T (testosterone), sexual health, and muscle. The low T health panel can also be upgraded to an Ultimate version that provides additional general health information with reduced pricing due to the bundling involved.
- For women, we also have more specific health panels to include anti-aging, fertility, hormone, sexual health, and menopause. The fertility and hormone panels can also be upgraded to an Ultimate or Comprehensive version, respectively, each providing additional health information at reduced cost. For more specific information about what is included in each health panel, please contact us.
While we do not accept insurance payments for most of our services in order to keep testing costs down, we can help you submit insurance information for some laboratory testing that is performed at laboratories outside of our network. Payment is required at the time of the testing, and you can always contact us to determine what payment would be required for your particular testing needs.
No doctors’ orders needed, we are a Direct-Access Testing Center. You are encouraged to consult your medical professional with your lab test results.
Test Smartly Labs makes getting a DNA test simple. We can test newborn babies, immigrants living abroad, and even forensic evidence such as envelopes, cups, cigarette butts, clothing, and pretty much anything else of relational or forensic interest. Please call us to find out the requirements for your particular DNA testing.
We test for a variety of STDs. We have a basic/bronze panel that includes chlamydia and gonorrhea testing and a comprehensive panel that adds Hepatitis B and C, herpes, HIV, and syphilis to the basic panel. Each test can be ordered individually, but there is significantly reduced pricing per test when ordering either of the panels.
Drug testing results can often be reported instantly, but they will require additional time for such reasons as…
- They need to be sent to a reference laboratory
- If directed by a testing authority such as an employer
- To confirm the results of a non-negative instant report
Most of our clinical and paternity testing results are reported within 2-4 business days. However, less common specialty tests such as food allergy and sensitivity require additional time. If we collect samples for a reference laboratory that reports the results directly to a healthcare provider, we recommend talking with your provider about the turnaround time.
We will not report any information to your doctor unless you instruct us on your Patient Testing and Information Consent form. There are a few tests, if positive for a communicable disease, that our reference laboratories must report to their public health office by law, but the vast majority of tests do not require reporting.
In most cases, we can collect samples for a kit supplied by your healthcare provider for a small collection fee. Please feel free to call us to determine the collection details before you start your food fast or any other preparation steps required for your blood test.
The following are the types of samples that may be used for a drug test:
- Urine
- Hair
- Fingernail/toenail
- Oral fluid (saliva)
- Sweat (skin patch
- Whole blood
There are several factors to consider when choosing the test that is right for your situation. Please call our office and we will gladly guide you through the right path for selecting the most appropriate test.
No appointment is required to come into our labs, and all of our locations are on a walk-in basis. However, it is recommended to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to closing. If your situation requires special time considerations, please call us to determine if it would be better to arrange an appointment time.
Per protocol, the lab techs are not allowed to receive or ask for your medications. A medical review officer or MRO (a licensed physician who specializes in toxicology) will call you and ask for your medications and your physician’s phone number if the medications are detected in your sample during testing to assist in their verification.
- All Test Smartly Labs are open Monday thru Friday from 9am - 5pm
We only perform fingerprint collections for Fingerprint partners, not to the general public. Please reach out to your fingerprinting agency directly to complete your registration prior to arriving into a Test Smartly Labs testing center.
Yes, we can do an Instant Screens or Lab-based drug testing it is up to you.
Sorry we do not accept any insurance but we can provide you with information so that you may file your own insurance claims. We don’t accept insurance in order to keep our testing costs very affordable. Payment is due at time of testing.
We do both legal paternity and non-legal (“Good to Know”). We recommend the Legal Version.
It is a cheek swab from both the father and child.
Yes, we do Prenatal Paternity Testing. It requires a blood draw from the mother and a buccal (cheek) swab from the potential father(s). Please call Test Smartly Labs for a consultation.