The global drug screening market size is calculated at USD 6.76 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach around USD 10.34 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 4.84% for the forecasted period.

Ottawa, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global drug screening market size was valued at USD 6.45 billion in 2024 and is predicted to hit around USD 10.34 billion by 2034, a study published by Towards Healthcare a sister firm of Precedence Research.

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Drug Screening Market Overview

Drug screening refers to a test for assessing the signs of one or more illegal drugs or certain prescription medicines. The test includes the examination of biological samples, such as urine, blood, saliva, hair, and sweat. The most commonly used drugs include cocaine, marijuana, opioids, and PCP. The screening is used for athletes to improve their performance, substance use disorder treatment, legal evidence, and to prevent prescription drug misuse. A positive test result indicates the presence of a drug above the reference range, and a negative test result indicates a lower amount of drug.

The increasing demand for sports activities and drug abuse positively impact market growth. The rising number of road accidents globally necessitates drug screening. The stringent regulatory policies mandate drug and alcohol testing to limit overconsumption of alcohol. Several government organizations launch initiatives for screening the use of illegal substances and take necessary actions.

Drug Screening Market Trends

• Rising Prevalence of Substance Use Disorder: The rising prevalence of substance use disorder necessitates drug screening. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 2.6 million deaths annually, accounting for 4.7% of all deaths globally. It is estimated that 400 million people live with alcohol use disorders globally.
• Stringent Regulatory Policies: Several government bodies have formed stringent regulations for legal drug testing. Numerous workplaces also demand drug screening of employees to maintain a drug-free environment at the office. Positive results can deny employment to a new hire or current employee.
• Increasing Road Accidents: The increasing number of road accidents globally, due to rising drink and drive cases, facilitates market growth. In the U.S., approximately 12,429 people died in alcohol-impaired traffic-related deaths in 2023. These stats highlight the significance of drug screening to prevent road accidents.
  

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Limitations & Challenges in the Drug Screening Market

• False Positives: Some drug screening tests may indicate false-positive or false-negative results. This may affect the decision-making of individuals and hamper people’s trust in the system. It is assumed that several at-home tests lack accuracy, leading to false results.
• Specimen Collection: Specimen collection for drug screening can be time-consuming. Also, there are limited devices available to collect specimens with precise quantities. Preserving these samples for further testing is also a major challenge.

Lab-on-a-Chip Technology: A New Era of Drug Testing

Technological advancements have led to the development of a lab-on-a-chip technology for drug testing. Advancements in microfluidics and the growing demand for point-of-care testing promote the revolution of drug screening on a microscale level. Screening can be performed in a controlled microenvironment, eliminating errors and reducing wastage. Lab-on-a-chip offers the potential for rapid, cost-effective, and portable detection systems in clinical and forensic environments. It enables the detection of a wide range of drugs of abuse with minute sample quantities. It also enables the analysis of biological and non-biological samples. Moreover, researchers have employed different detection methods over few years for drug testing. Immunoassay was found to be the most preferred approach for drug testing on a chip.

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Regional Analysis

Advanced Technologies Dominated North America

North America dominated the global drug screening market in 2024. The increasing prevalence of substance abuse and technological advancements drive the market. The availability of stringent regulations and laws necessitates testing of legal and illegal drugs. The increasing number of drug test centers with specialized equipment favors market growth. More employers are becoming aware of conducting a drug screening test for their current employees and new joiners. Most of the U.S. offices require pre-employment testing, with Washington, D.C., reporting the highest number of tests.

• United States: There are currently more than 20,000 drug testing centers in the U.S. The increasing road accidents due to drunk driving cases is a major concern among civilians. Every day, about 34 people in the U.S. die due to drunk-driving crashes.
• Canada: The Canadian government regulates and mandates drug screening for various purposes. The Canadian government’s Drug Analysis Service (DAS) receives approximately 120,000 drug samples from law enforcement agencies annually.

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Rising Road Accidents Promote Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific is projected to host the fastest-growing drug screening market in the coming years. The rising number of road accidents due to drunk driving and evolving regulatory frameworks foster market growth. Numerous government and private labs are adopting test kits of advanced technologies to reduce testing time and lead to accurate outcomes, reducing false positives. Favorable government policies and increasing investments facilitate the use of drug testing. The growing number of drug testing laboratories also contributes to market growth. Out of the 32 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited labs globally, 6 are located in Asia. These Asian countries include China, India, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, and Thailand.

• China: The stringent regulations in China promote drug testing. China has around 26,000 police officers dedicated to drug control in the public security system. The government also has a “Narcotics Intelligence Technology Center” for drug control research, drug testing, analysis, and identification.
• India: Drunken driving is the second most common reason for road accidents in India. In March 2025, the Maharashtra state government announced the procurement of drug testing devices to detect if drivers are under the influence of drugs.

Segmental Outlook

Product Insights

The consumables segment held a dominant presence in the drug screening market in 2024. Some common examples of consumables required for drug screening include cartridges, plates, vials, and a few reagents. These consumables enable researchers to perform multiple reactions simultaneously. They are usually essential when drug screening is performed in drug testing laboratories. Such laboratories have state-of-the-art instruments and frequently require consumables.

The rapid testing devices segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the drug screening market during the forecast period. Rapid testing devices save professional’s lot of time and enable them to make informed decisions quickly. They offer high-quality and convenient results and on-site drug testing confidence. Some devices can detect the presence of multiple drugs using a small amount of biological samples, offering reliability and precision. This eliminates the need for sending the samples to the laboratory and subsequently waiting for the results.

Sample Insights

The urine segment held the largest share of the market in 2024. Urine is the most commonly used biological sample for testing illicit drugs. It can detect the presence of both illegal and prescription drugs in a person’s system. Certain drugs undergo metabolism and are eliminated from the body through urine. Urine contains traces of such drugs even after a long period. Additionally, collecting urine is a non-invasive procedure, and urine testing results in higher sensitivity.

The oral fluid sample segment is anticipated to grow with the highest CAGR in the drug screening market during the studied years. Oral fluid samples are an alternative to a urine test when substitution or adulteration is suspected. They are used to detect recent drug usage as drugs may be found in saliva after absorption into the blood. Oral testing is the most emerging test for drug abuse screening. It is mostly preferred by traffic police to assess whether a person is in drunk state while driving.

Drug Insights

The cannabis/marijuana segment led the global market in 2024 and is also anticipated to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. The rising prevalence of substance use disorder necessitates testing for cannabis/marijuana. It is estimated that around 64 million people globally are suffering from drug use disorders. Cannabis is the most widely used drug globally. It is also the most cultivated drug globally. It is estimated that around 2.5% of the world’s population, accounting for 147 million people, consumes cannabis.

End-Use Insights

The drug testing laboratories segment held a major share of the drug screening market in 2024. The increasing number of drug testing laboratories and the availability of specialized equipment augment the segment’s growth. These laboratories have skilled professionals to perform complex procedures. Hence, numerous professionals rely on test results conducted in such laboratories. Several government and private bodies operate drug testing laboratories.

The workplaces segment is projected to expand rapidly in the market in the coming years. The growing awareness in corporate offices about drug screening favors the segment’s growth. Drug screening at workplaces is usually part of the hiring process. It helps to have a safe working environment, enhances productivity, and reduces absenteeism. It also helps to ensure that new employees are free from substance abuse issues.

Top Companies in the Drug Screening Market

• Cordant Health Solutions
• Sciteck, Inc.
• CareHealth America
• Clinical Reference Laboratory, Inc.
• Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings
• Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• ACM Global Laboratories.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
• Siemens Healthcare GmbH
• American Bio Medica Corporation
• Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
• Alere Inc.
• Quidel Corporation
• Synergy Health plc.
• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
• Abbott
• Shimadzu Medical Pvt. Ltd.
• Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
• BioMerieux SA
• Express Diagnostics Int’l, Inc.
• Biomedical Diagnostics
• Danaher

Recent Breakthroughs

• In January 2025, the Drug and Food Control Organization, under the guidance of the State Drug Controller Jammu & Kashmir, organized an awareness cum orientation program at the Drug Testing Laboratory of Dalgate. The program was launched to train regulators on new tools and techniques for detecting software violations.
• In January 2025, Northlane Capital Partners (NCP) announced an investment in the United States Drug Testing Laboratories, Inc. (USDTL). USDTL is a forensic toxicology testing lab for alcohol and substance use. The investment was made to expand their network and niche testing capabilities.

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Segments Covered in the Report

By Product

• Consumables
• Rapid Testing Devices
• Instruments
• Services

By Sample

• Urine Sample
• Oral Fluid Sample
• Hair Sample
• Other

By Drug

• Alcohol
• Cannabis/Marijuana
• Cocaine
• Opioids
• Amphetamine & Methamphetamine
• LSD
• Others
  

By End-Use

• Drug Testing Laboratories
• Workplaces
• Hospitals
• Others

By Region

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Thailand
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Denmark
  • Norway
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Argentina
• Middle East and Africa (MEA)
  • South Africa
  • UAE
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Kuwait
    

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