A 5-panel drug test is a urine screen for five drug classes: amphetamines, cocaine, THC (cannabis), opiates and PCP. Of the panel counts in common use, it covers the fewest classes. This guide covers what the five look for, what they miss, why two 5-panel cups can disagree, and how the five read on a Testr visit in Los Angeles.
What a 5-panel drug test screens for
Each panel is a strip for one drug class. Below, each one is listed with its code, typical detection window and screening cutoff on a Testr record.
Amphetamines (AMP). Stimulants, including some prescription ADHD medicines. Usually detectable in urine for 2-4 days after use, at a 500 ng/mL screening cutoff. See the amphetamine drug test panel.
Cocaine (COC). The strip looks for cocaine's main breakdown product. Usually detectable in urine for 2-4 days after use, and up to about two weeks after heavy or repeated use, at a 150 ng/mL screening cutoff. See the cocaine drug test panel.
THC (cannabis). The active compound in marijuana. Detectable for about 3 days after occasional use, but up to 30 days or more with heavy daily use, at a 50 ng/mL screening cutoff. See the THC and marijuana drug test panel.
Opiates (MOR). Natural opioids such as morphine, codeine and heroin. Usually detectable in urine for 2-3 days after use, at a 300 ng/mL screening cutoff. See the opiates drug test panel.
PCP. Phencyclidine, also called angel dust. Usually detectable in urine for about a week after occasional use, and considerably longer with heavy use, at a 25 ng/mL screening cutoff. See the PCP drug test panel.
These ranges are typical, not fixed; dose, frequency and body weight all shift them.
What a 5-panel drug screen leaves out
Benzodiazepines, oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone and alcohol all sit outside the standard five. Someone taking any of them can still test negative on every 5-panel strip.
Many 5-panel and 10-panel kits carry no fentanyl strip at all. What Testr's FEN panel may not catch is covered in whether a 14-panel drug test detects fentanyl.
A 10-panel starts from the same five and adds another five, which change with the kit maker and with what the employer orders. Benzodiazepines, barbiturates and methadone show up most often; after those, some kits add methamphetamine and others oxycodone. The comparison of 5-panel, 10-panel and 14-panel drug tests sets the three counts side by side.
Why two 5-panel cups can read differently
"5-panel" is a count of drug classes, not a cutoff. Two kits sold under the same panel name can use different cutoffs, so one specimen can read differently on each.
The cutoff is the threshold for a positive read. Under it, a strip reads negative even if a small amount of the drug is there. A negative therefore reports a level below the cutoff when the specimen was collected, which is not the same as a level of zero.
Codes differ between cups as well: opiates may be printed as MOP, OPI or MOR, and methamphetamine as MET or mAMP. The drug test abbreviations guide lists each code with its Testr cutoff.
What a Testr visit reads instead
Testr has no separate 5-panel or 10-panel test. Every visit across the Los Angeles area runs one 14-panel rapid urine cassette. A certified collector reads it on site, along with three validity strips for pH, oxidants and creatinine.
The record lists each panel on its own line. The standard five appear as AMP, COC, THC, MOR and PCP. The other nine are BZO (benzodiazepines), BAR (barbiturates), MTD (methadone), MET (methamphetamine), OXY (oxycodone), FEN (fentanyl), BUP (buprenorphine), MDMA and ETG, the alcohol metabolite. When a policy names only the five, those lines sit on the same report as the other nine.
Each line reads negative or presumptive positive against its screening cutoff, as the guide to reading a Testr drug test result explains.
Whether a written policy should call for five panels, ten or fourteen is a question for the employer and its employment counsel.
Why a positive on the screen is presumptive
A rapid strip responds to a family of related compounds rather than to one named drug. A valid ADHD prescription can turn AMP positive. On the opiates strip, a codeine or morphine prescription can do the same, and so can poppy seeds. Some legal CBD products carry enough THC to turn the THC strip positive. On PCP, documented cross-reactions include dextromethorphan, venlafaxine and tramadol. The false positive guide, panel by panel covers all 14.
On the Rapid Test with Laboratory Confirmation, the specimen stays sealed and goes to a CAP-accredited laboratory, tracked by its chain-of-custody code. There, LC-MS/MS analysis covers 81 substances in 31 drug classes and returns each one's measured level in about 72 hours. For the compounds behind the five panels, the laboratory menu lists these confirmation cutoffs:
Amphetamines: amphetamine and methamphetamine, each at 100 ng/mL
Cocaine: benzoylecgonine, at 100 ng/mL
Cannabis: THC-COOH, at 10 ng/mL
Opiates: compounds including codeine, morphine and oxymorphone, each at 50 ng/mL; 6-acetylmorphine, the breakdown product specific to heroin, is listed on its own at 10 ng/mL
PCP: phencyclidine itself, at 10 ng/mL
Each laboratory report also passes through a Medical Review Officer (MRO), a physician who reviews laboratory-confirmed results and accounts for valid prescriptions before the report is released.
A visit booked as the At-Home Rapid Test can move up to laboratory confirmation in the app during the first 2 hours after collection, while the specimen remains viable. More on the 2-hour upgrade window.
Booking a urine drug test in Los Angeles
Booking happens at testrla.com/book or in the Testr iOS app, in 30-minute arrival windows between 7 AM and 7 PM, seven days a week. A visit can start in as little as 3 hours from booking. More on same-day drug testing in Los Angeles.
Collectors wear plain clothes, drive unmarked vehicles and confirm identity with the 4-digit PIN in the booker's app. The specimen's temperature is checked before it is sealed in a tamper-evident container and photographed, and it carries the signatures of both the collector and the person tested. Each order carries its own chain-of-custody code.
Each booking covers one person. Parents, employers and professionals such as therapists can book for another person, whose consent is recorded at booking. A minor's visit needs a parent or legal guardian there from start to finish, and that adult signs the consent on the minor's behalf. See Testr for parents, Testr for professionals and workplace drug testing in Los Angeles.
The account holder receives results privately, either in the app or as a PDF from testrla.com/account. They reach a named third party only when the account holder gives written consent.
Testr collects urine only, for non-DOT testing. It is not a DOT collection site and does no hair, saliva, blood or breath testing. More on DOT and non-DOT drug tests.
Questions people ask
What does a 5 panel drug test test for?
Amphetamines, cocaine, THC (cannabis), opiates and PCP. On a Testr record those are the AMP, COC, THC, MOR and PCP lines.
Does a 5 panel drug test detect alcohol?
A standard 5-panel does not. A Testr visit reads EtG, a breakdown product of alcohol, on its ETG line from the same urine specimen. EtG is detectable for up to about 80 hours (3-4 days) after heavy drinking, shorter after light drinking. More on the EtG alcohol test.
Does a 5 panel drug screen test for fentanyl or oxycodone?
Neither is part of the standard five. A Testr record has its own FEN line at a 10 ng/mL screening cutoff and its own OXY line at 100 ng/mL.
Does Xanax show up on a 5 panel drug test?
A standard 5-panel does not screen for benzodiazepines, the class Xanax belongs to. On a Testr visit, the benzodiazepine drug test panel, printed as BZO, reads presumptive positive at or above its 200 ng/mL cutoff.
How fast can I get a 5 panel urine drug test in Los Angeles?
Every Testr visit runs the 14-panel screen, which includes the five. A visit can start in as little as 3 hours from booking, and the screen is read on site; laboratory confirmation takes about 72 hours.