Drug test Drug test A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen, for example urine, hair, blood, breath, sweat, and/or oral fluid/saliva — to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites. Major applications of drug testing include detection of the presence of performance enhancing steroids in sport, employers and parole/probation officers screening for drugs prohibited by law (such as cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin) and police officers testing for the presence and concentration of alcohol (ethanol) in the blood commonly referred to as BAC (blood alcohol content). BAC tests are typically administered via a
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research new drugs on healthy volunteers in small groups to determine the maximum safe dosage. Phase II trials involve patients with the condition the drug is intended to treat to test for safety and minimal efficacy in a somewhat larger group of people. Phase III trials involve one to five thousand patients to determine whether the drug is effective in treating the condition it is intended to be used for. After this stage, a new drug application is submitted. If the drug is approved, stage IV trials are conducted after marketing to ensure there are no adverse effects or long term