Instant Drug Test

Instant drug testing — also called point-of-collection testing (POCT) — delivers preliminary screening results within minutes at the collection site. Unlike laboratory-based testing, which requires sending specimens to an external lab, POCT devices analyse the specimen on-site. This makes instant testing well-suited to post-incident testing, return-to-work scenarios, and random programme screening where rapid results are operationally important.

The speed advantage of instant testing does not come at the cost of compliance. Instant POCT devices approved for use in Australian workplaces comply with AS/NZS 4308 when used for urine testing. A non-negative preliminary result does not conclude the process — the specimen is retained and sent to a NATA-accredited laboratory for confirmatory analysis using mass spectrometry. Refchecks coordinates this two-stage process, with the laboratory confirmation result and Medical Review Officer assessment delivered to your dashboard.

Instant testing is appropriate across several scenarios: pre-employment screening where same-day results are needed, post-incident testing where speed is critical, random programme testing at remote or site-based locations, and return-to-work assessments. For pre-employment scenarios where same-day decisions are needed, instant testing allows the process to proceed quickly while the confirmation pathway provides the evidentiary certainty required for adverse employment decisions.