Skip to main content
Quest Diagnostics

Clinical drug monitoring

At the forefront of drug monitoring

Drug misuse occurs across many segments of the population, which is why we offer a broad array of drug testing for your diverse needs. Whether you are seeking to start a drug monitoring program or to supplement an existing program with additional testing, we offer urine and oral fluid drug testing to meet the needs of healthcare providers, pain specialists, behavioral health specialists, and health systems.

Our reputation in clinical laboratory diagnostics is built on an unparalleled commitment to service, coupled with our industry-leading comprehensive drug testing portfolio. This includes an extensive menu to detect prescription drugs used in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders; other controlled medications; and substances of abuse.

Xylazine is a rising

threat in illicit drugs.

Read our analysis

With state-of-the-art technologies, fast turnaround times, easy-to-interpret results, and in-house toxicology and medical experts available for consultation, Quest Diagnostics helps you protect your patients and your practice by helping you make more-informed decisions.

Insights, clinical benefits, patient compliance, and protection

Explore our provider-focused clinical drug monitoring information for primary care, pain specialists, behavioral health specialists, and health systems.

Provider information

Prescription drug monitoring: Why monitor your patients?

We recognize that behind every specimen and result there is a human life—a life whose quality may be improved when pain or other controlled medications are used as you prescribed. For example, for responsible patients with refractory chronic and recurring pain, opioids not only relieve suffering, but also can support normal daily functioning, alleviate stress, and improve sleep.

Periodic urine drug testing (UDT) or oral fluid drug testing can help you to:

  • Monitor your patient treatment plan
  • Detect other nonprescribed medication(s)
  • Manage therapy safety and maintain availability for your patients by assisting with regulatory compliance
  • Test for other drugs of abuse (cocaine, methamphetamine, etc)

Controlled substance medications have been linked to diversion (passing the drug on to others for sale or use), noncompliance, and abuse. 

If you oversee patients who take pain or other controlled medications, especially those whom you suspect may be abusing these substances, how can you meet state and federal regulations yet still provide access to needed therapies?

One step you can take is proactive drug monitoring with urine drug testing (UDT) or oral fluid drug testing, which helps to:

  • Supplement patient self-reporting and usage of state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) information, with documented lab results
  • Identify drug compliance, diversion, or abuse

Quest Diagnostics constantly seeks innovative ways to enhance patient care and provide value to our customers. We provide tools that can help you create an efficient, reliable drug monitoring program. 

Kratom (mitragynine) is a plant-derived substance sold in powders, capsules, extracts, and beverages, often marketed as a natural or herbal supplement.

Patients may use kratom to

  • Self-manage pain, anxiety, or mood
  • Ease opioid withdrawal symptoms
  • Avoid medication-assisted treatment, believing it is safer or easier to access
  • Seek relaxation or euphoria

The US Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use kratom, which has properties that expose users to the risks of addiction, abuse, and dependence.1  

Kratom is often overlooked in routine drug monitoring. That’s why Quest offers definitive testing for mitragynine, as well as screening to reflex, to support clinicians in identifying exposure, differentiating from standard opioids, and guiding patient care.

When to consider kratom testing

Novel psychoactive substances (NPS), also known as designer or synthetic drugs, are designed to mimic the effect of controlled substances and/or illicit drugs while circumventing national and international drug scheduling laws.2,3

Over the past decade there has been a significant increase in the use of NPS, and they have been implicated in overdose and mass-poisoning events.3,4 Often consumed unknowingly and found in combination with other substances, NPS may supplant traditional drugs of abuse and can be more potent and harder to detect with traditional testing.2,4 Two NPS drug classes in particular—other illicit additives (xylazine) and fentanyl analogs (acetyl fentanyl)—are frequently found in specimens and contribute to the nation’s misuse crisis.6

To help protect your patients, Quest Diagnostics offers definitive drug testing for major NPS classes with the Drug Monitoring, NPS panel. Developed to help address the changing drug epidemic, this panel simultaneously identifies NPS classes using definitive liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based testing and reports out at the class level to help identify misuse.

Understand the dangers of NPS

Go inside the rising crisis of Novel Psychoactive Substances

Download Drug Misuse in America 2023: The Growing Crisis of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) for an overview of the shifting drug crisis from misuse of prescription opioids to NPS.
Download the report
download the report

Our comprehensive test menu covers a broad range of substances

We offer a broad menu of drug tests, including tests for prescription drugs, other controlled medications, and illicit drugs—with enhanced sensitivity to better detect benzodiazepines and opioids.

Drug / Drug Class

  • Alcohol metabolites (EtG, EtS)
  • Alcohol biomarkers (PEth)
  • Amphetamines
  • Amphetamines, with reflex to d-methamphetamine (dextromethamphetamine) and l-methamphetamine (levomethamphetamine) isomers
  • Antidepressants
  • Antipsychotics (urine)
  • Antipsychotics (serum)
  • Barbiturates
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Buprenorphine with naloxone
  • Carisoprodol
  • Cocaine metabolite
  • Eszopiclone
  • Fentanyl
  • Gabapentin
  • Heroin metabolite
  • Marijuana metabolite
  • MDMA/MDA
  • Meperidine
  • Methadone metabolite
  • Methamphetamine d/l isomers
  • Methylphenidate
  • Mitragynine
  • Naltrexone
  • Opiates
  • Oxycodone
  • Phencyclidine
  • Pregabalin
  • Propoxyphene
  • Synthetic cannabinoids
  • Synthetic stimulants
  • Tapentadol
  • Tramadol
  • Tricyclic antidepressants
  • Zolpidem

We also offer a wide range of panels that screen for several different combinations of drugs and medications.

Search our Test Directory


 

Monitoring and reporting drug use and misuse

Why monitoring is important

Aggregated drug testing surveillance data provides important and objective insights to help inform harm reduction strategies. The right data at the right time can help guide public policy and evaluate the effectiveness of prevention/intervention programs.

In-depth insights into the trends for drug positivity can support preventive actions and evaluate whether treatment programs have successfully impacted the drug misuse epidemic in their local communities.

Why work with Quest

Quest has the most extensive database of drug test results in the industry, providing insights and information on a national, regional, and local level.

States, health departments, communities, health systems, practices, and providers can work with us to monitor their statewide, regional, and local drug testing programs.

Together, we can generate meaningful surveillance data that helps drive toward positive outcomes in the battle against overdose and drug misuses disorders.

Learn more


 

RESPONSIBLE TESTING

We work every day to bring you exceptional service and efficiency.

We offer a broad range of drug tests to identify the presence of prescribed, nonprescribed, and illicit drugs. We also provide other clinical testing services for conditions such as infectious disease and general health.
Why choose us
DoctorsLookingAtTablet


The power of Quest

On-staff toxicology experts

We have toxicology experts on staff to help with results interpretation, test selection, and consultation on all of our drug tests. For assistance, call 1.877.40.RXTOX (1.877.407.9869)

 

Simple and intuitive clinician and patient result reports

Our result reports are designed to provide actionable insights with the goal of at-a-glance interpretation. Plus, quarterly reports are available to compare positivity rates in your practice to the Quest Diagnostics national database.

Flexible collection options

In-office specimen collection is not always an option. That’s why Quest Diagnostics offers 2 alternative collection options: Patient Service Center collection at one of our over 2,400 centers across the country and self-collection performed at home by the patient with our self-collection kit.

The latest insights into the drug misuse crisis

Our in-house experts provide insights on the latest in toxicology and drug testing through our carefully curated resources, videos, webinars, and podcasts. 

 

 

Drug monitoring resource center

We offer a variety of useful resources for healthcare professionals.

Resource Center

References

  1. Food and Drug Administration. FDA and kratom. March 4, 2019. Accessed November 4, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-kratom
  2. Peacock A, Bruno R, Gisev N, et al. New psychoactive substances: challenges for drug surveillance, control, and public health responses. Lancet. 2019;394(10209):1668-1684. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(19)32231-7
  3. Mohr ALA, Logan BK, Fogarty MF, et al. Reports of adverse events associated with use of novel psychoactive substances, 2017–2020: a review. J Anal Toxicol. 2022;46(6):e116-e185. doi:10.1093/jat/bkac023
  4. Iwersen-Bergmann S, Lehmann S, Heinemann A, et al. Mass poisoning with NPS: 2C-E and Bromo-DragonFly. Int J Legal Med. 2019;133(1):123-129. 
doi:10.1007/s00414-018-1882-9
  5. The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education. Trend Reports. Accessed February 9, 2024. https://www.cfsre.org/nps-discovery/trend-reports
  6. Quest Diagnostics. Health Trends Drug misuse in America 2023: the growing crisis of novel psychoactive substances. December 23, 2023. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2303443/Quest_Diagnostics_2023_HT_DM_Report.pdf?p=original

Our toxicology experts are here for you

Whether you want to discuss test selection, sample requirements, results interpretation, or to schedule an in-depth call for more complex questions, our team is available via phone at 1.877.40.RXTOX (1.877.407.9869)

Contact us

Clinical drug monitoring

Helping you stay current in drug monitoring

Prescription Drug Monitoring
Article
Physicians predict increased use of gabapentin for chronic pain
Prescription Drug Monitoring
Article
Better guidelines could help reduce racial disparities in clinical drug testing, physicians say
Prescription Drug Monitoring
Article
Triple Crises: COVID Pandemic, Mental Health, and Opioid Misuse
Prescription Drug Monitoring
Article
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) plans to collect nationwide prescription data
View all articles

Our company

Quest® is the brand name used for services offered by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and its affiliated companies. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and certain affiliates are CLIA-certified laboratories that provide HIPAA-covered services.  Other affiliates operated under the Quest® brand, such as Quest Consumer Inc., do not provide HIPAA-covered services. 

 

Quest®, Quest Diagnostics®, any associated logos, and all associated Quest Diagnostics registered or unregistered trademarks are the property of Quest Diagnostics. All third-party marks—® and ™—are the property of their respective owners. © 2026 Quest Diagnostics Incorporated. All rights reserved. Image content features models and is intended for illustrative purposes only.