Drug or Alcohol Testing Cost

• Drug and alcohol testing typically costs from less than $10 to $50 or more for an at-home saliva or urine test for alcohol, a single illegal drug or multiple illegal drugs -- or for a hand-held digital breathalyzer tool. For example, Walmart charges $9 for a five-pack of saliva test strips for alcohol. Walgreens charges $10 for an At Home Drug Test urine test for marijuana. Drugstore.com charges $28 for the At Home Drug Test, which tests urine for six types of illegal drugs and offers the option to mail the test to a laboratory for confirmation of preliminary results. Drustore.com charges $38 for the First Check Home 12 Drug test, which checks urine for seven types of illegal drugs and five types of prescription drugs and also offers mail-in verification. Walmart charges $39 -$53, depending on brand, for a digital breath monitor for alcohol.
• Drug or alcohol testing typically costs $50 -$80 or more for a drug and alcohol urine or saliva test performed at a laboratory. For example, Any Lab Test Now charges $49 for a 10-drug urine laboratory test and $69 for a five-drug saliva laboratory test. Health Testing Centers charges $69 for a laboratory urine test for nine types of illegal drugs and $79 for a laboratory test for nine types of illegal drugs plus alcohol.
• Drug and alcohol testing typically costs under $100 -$650 or more for a blood test or hair test. For example, PrepaidLabTest.com charges about $85 for a blood test for marijuana or cocaine and $200 for a seven-drug blood test. And Any Lab Test Now charges $189 for a five-drug hair follicle test that checks for use in the past 90 days, $229 for a blood alcohol level laboratory blood test and $650 for a hair test to check for a history of alcohol abuse in the past six months.

• Depending on the type of test being used, a sample of urine, saliva, blood or hair is collected. It is then tested for the presence of a type of drug, or its metabolites, which are substances the body changes the drug into as it is being processed by the liver. If preliminary results come back positive, either at home or in the laboratory, a second laboratory test is required for confirmation. This test can determine exactly which drug is present.
• LabTestsOnline.org, which is produced by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, offers information on drug testing.
• A digital breathalyzer uses an alcohol gas sensor to measure the amount of alcohol in the breath, and typically can detect even very low levels.

• Individuals with serious alcohol or drug problems might choose to go to rehab, which typically costs less than $5,000 for an outpatient program or $6,000 -$50,000 for a 30-, 60- or 90-day stay in a residential or inpatient treatment facility.

• Some laboratories offer periodic specials. For example, AnyLabTestNow.com in Texas has offered a $10 off online coupon for any test that costs $49 or more.

• At-home drug and alcohol tests are sold at most drug stores, as well as at websites such as Drugstore.com, CVS and Walgreens.
• Companies such as LabCorp, Quest Diagnostics and Health Testing Centers offer drug and alcohol testing direct to patients. Laboratories are regulated by the federal government through the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which sets quality standards -- and some states also have their own requirements. LabTestsOnline.org, an informational website produced by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, offers information on laboratory oversight as well advice for consumers on how to choose a high quality laboratory.
• It is important to note that different types of drug tests have different windows of detection, as well as other pros and cons. The AAIM, an association for employers, offers a comparison of different types of drug tests.

More Articles in Addiction