Drug and Alcohol Testing Flashcards
7 cards from real MEPS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Drug and Alcohol Testing flashcards as text
What minimum urine volume is required to complete a standard MEPS drug test collection?
Answer: 45 mL
Federal guidelines require a minimum of 45 mL of urine to perform the required drug screening and allow for a split-sample confirmation if needed.
Which drug panel is most commonly used at MEPS for initial screening?
Answer: DOT 5-panel
The DOT 5-panel (marijuana, cocaine, opiates, phencyclidine, and amphetamines) forms the baseline of MEPS drug testing, with the military often adding additional substances.
Synthetic cannabinoids (like 'Spice' or 'K2') are a concern at MEPS primarily because:
Answer: They may not be detected by standard THC immunoassay screens
Synthetic cannabinoids have chemical structures that differ from THC and may evade standard immunoassay tests, though expanded military panels may target them specifically.
If a MEPS urine sample tests positive on the initial immunoassay screen, what is the required next step?
Answer: A confirmatory GC-MS or LC-MS/MS test must be performed
All positive immunoassay screens must be confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry before being reported as positive.
An applicant takes over-the-counter ibuprofen before their MEPS test. Which drug panel result could theoretically be affected?
Answer: THC (marijuana)
High doses of ibuprofen have historically caused false positives for THC on some immunoassay screens, though modern assays have largely addressed this cross-reactivity.
Which of the following correctly describes the temperature requirement for a urine specimen collected at MEPS?
Answer: Between 90–100°F (32–38°C) measured within 4 minutes
Federal specimen collection guidelines require the temperature to be checked within four minutes of collection and must fall between 90–100°F to confirm the specimen is fresh and unaltered.
What action should a MEPS collector take if a urine specimen's temperature falls outside the acceptable range?
Answer: Document the anomaly and collect a second specimen under direct observation
An out-of-range temperature is treated as a potential adulteration, requiring a second specimen collected under direct observation while the original is still sent for testing.