What it measures
A check for morphine, an opioid, or its breakdown products, in a urine sample. Morphine is a prescribed painkiller, and codeine and heroin both partly break down into it.
Why people test it
- Checked to show no recent use, for example for work, during recovery or for personal reasons.
- Part of wider drug screens that test for several drugs from one urine sample.
Typical range
Reported as detected or not detected (positive or negative) against a cut-off level. Cut-offs vary by lab and the report shows the lab's own; a positive screen is often confirmed by a second, more specific lab method.
Finger-prick or vein?
A urine sample rather than blood, given at a clinic or with a home kit. How long a drug stays detectable depends on the drug, the amount and how often it is used.
Codeine and heroin both break down into morphine, and poppy seeds can contain traces of it, so a positive result does not show the source on its own.