Saliva testing kits are non-invasive tools to collect samples that medical and laboratory professionals can use for specific tests. Saliva testing is important for diagnosing infectious diseases as well as endocrine and autoimmune conditions. Saliva test kits can also be used to detect the use of illicit drugs. Modern saliva testing kits are cost-effective, convenient, and fast diagnostic tools that can be used across healthcare, employment, and legal contexts. Learn more about the advantages and applications of saliva test kits, and how you can benefit from choosing the right supplier for your needs.
How Saliva Test Kits Work
Saliva test kits can detect specific molecules such as hormones, drugs, and disease indicators. First, users provide a saliva sample by spitting into a container. That collection container then goes to a laboratory for testing and analysis. Many types of test kits, such as those used by employers or for at-home diagnostics, allow the sample to be securely mailed to an off-site laboratory. There, the laboratory conducts different types of tests for medical conditions, hormone concentrations, and traces of drugs.
This method of testing is popular across a wide variety of contexts because it’s not invasive—users don’t need to draw blood or worry about needles. In fact, users can collect specimens themselves or with administrative supervision in the case of drug test saliva kits. This makes them safer, more convenient, and more cost-effective to implement.
In general, lab tests are more accurate than instant test kits. However, there are several other factors that affect accuracy, such as:
- The type of drug/substance and concentration
- The skill and capabilities of the test administrator and/or testing facility
- The type of test
- The quality of the testing device
- Whether the time of testing falls within the detection window for the condition/drug being tested
Saliva Test Kits for Employers
Saliva drug test kits for employers have become a common fixture in hiring processes, and many professions require intermittent or routine drug testing. The convenience of saliva testing can ensure greater compliance and participation. It’s also fast and easy to organize the collection of samples, making it less disruptive and expensive. This makes it less likely that employees will try to avoid the testing site or call in sick from work. Even better, the technology behind drug testing is efficient and reliable, so employers can receive accurate results within just a few days or even hours.
Employers that want to implement drug testing protocols for their employees have several different options. The saliva samples can be collected on-site or at a nearby clinic without involving a hospital or doctors. This reduces the administrative burden and optimizes employee productivity. Employers can also decide how quickly they want results back, which can be a factor in pricing. With quick results, they can take swift action in case some results come back positive.
Generally, private employers have the right to implement drug testing with few limitations. However, there are compliance requirements for any actions taken as a result of a positive drug test. Government agencies face far more restrictions on implementing drug tests.
Applications of Saliva Test Kits
Saliva test kits are helpful resources in a wide variety of different contexts:
- Forensic testing: Criminal investigators can use saliva for DNA matching.
- Healthcare: Healthcare is one of the primary use cases of saliva test kits, as healthcare professionals can conduct saliva tests to diagnose diseases or disorders. It can also be used to monitor patients undergoing hormone treatments.
- Occupational health: Employers can conduct drug testing. Saliva tests can also detect if workers are exposed to hazardous substances like pesticides, lead, mercury, or other substances in the workplace.
- Personalized medicine: At-home kits give consumers the option to conduct genetic testing and receive personalized treatments.
- Pharmacology: Ongoing saliva tests can tell medical professionals about the concentration of different medicines in a patient’s system without continuous blood testing.
- Sports medicine: With saliva test kits, sports officials can conduct testing for doping. Because the results can be delivered quickly and testing can happen on-site, it’s a convenient option.
Choosing the Right Supplier for Saliva Test Kits
Many industries use kitting and assembly services to fulfill their business needs. Manufacturing and retail companies usually require high volumes of kits for consumer-facing product placement. Healthcare organizations require a diverse variety of kits for sampling, testing, and more.
Regardless of your industry, it’s important to choose the right supplier for your organization’s specific needs. Third-party kitting services can take the individual components for testing kits and package them into complete kit units. This reduces complications at the end-use site, and kitting services can assemble different kits for different applications. Some of the key advantages of choosing a reliable kitting service include:
- Accelerated time to market
- Consistent, controllable costs
- Supply chain efficiency
- Well-managed inventory, with replenishment alerts to keep production running smoothly
- Reduced need for warehouse facilities
Saliva Test Kitting Services From ImageMark
At ImageMark, we specialize in providing organizations and end-users with fast, convenient access to saliva testing capabilities. We’ve laid the foundation for reliable, cost-effective kitting processes so employers, testing officials, and healthcare professionals have the tools they need. Contact us today to learn more.