Drug Test Dip Cards for High-Volume, Cost-Sensitive Programs

Each analyte has a test line (T) and a control line (C). A visible control line confirms the test ran correctly. For each drug, any visible test line — even a faint one — means negative (below cutoff); no test line means presumptive positive (at or above cutoff). If the control line never appears, the test is invalid and should be repeated with a new card. Always read within the stated window, usually around five minutes.

Yes — a dip card and an integrated cup use the same immunoassay chemistry and the same cutoffs, so their screening accuracy is equivalent. The difference is workflow and verification hardware: a cup adds specimen-temperature reading and a sealed collection container, while a card relies on a separately collected sample. For the actual drug detection at the cutoff, the two formats perform the same.

A multi-panel card screens for several substances at once and is the workhorse for routine broad screening. A single-analyte card targets one substance — for example an 80-hour ETG alcohol card or a fentanyl card — so you can add a focused screen to an existing protocol without re-buying a full panel. Many programs stock both.

To run CLIA-waived dip cards for testing other people in the United States, your site generally needs at least a CLIA Certificate of Waiver. The card itself is cleared as waived in its standard configuration, but the waiver is a property of your testing site, not the device. Single-analyte harm-reduction strips may have a different intended-use status — check the product page.

ETG (ethyl glucuronide) is a direct metabolite of alcohol that remains detectable in urine far longer than alcohol itself — up to roughly 80 hours after consumption, depending on the amount. An ETG card is the standard tool for abstinence-monitoring programs where you need to detect drinking that occurred days earlier, well beyond what a breathalyzer or standard alcohol test would catch.

Keep cards sealed in their foil pouches at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, heat, and freezing. Let a refrigerated pouch return to room temperature before opening to avoid condensation on the membrane. Use each card promptly once the pouch is opened, and don't use any card past the printed expiration date.