A 5DSP/No THC/PHN is a five-drug screen panel that tests for the standard drug categories found on a typical workplace urine test, but with marijuana (THC) deliberately left off. The “PHN” in the code refers to phencyclidine (PCP). In practical terms, this panel screens your urine for cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, PCP, and typically one additional category such as benzodiazepines or expanded opioids, while skipping cannabis entirely.
What Each Drug Category Covers
The standard five-panel drug screen has historically tested for marijuana, cocaine, PCP, opiates, and amphetamines. When THC is removed, the remaining categories still cast a wide net. Here’s what falls under each one:
- Cocaine: Detects a breakdown product your body produces after cocaine use. A positive result indicates recent use, typically within the past one to four days.
- Amphetamines: Covers amphetamine, methamphetamine, and in many panels, MDMA (ecstasy). These are detectable in urine for roughly one to five days after use.
- Opiates and opioids: This is the broadest category. It picks up codeine, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone. Heroin is also detected through this category, though it clears the body in less than a day. Most other opioids remain detectable for one to four days.
- Phencyclidine (PCP): The “PHN” in your test code. PCP is a dissociative drug that some panels still screen for as part of the standard five.
Detection times are approximate and vary based on body composition, how frequently a substance was used, dosage, and individual metabolism. A single use clears faster than repeated or heavy use.
Why THC Is Excluded
The removal of marijuana from drug panels has become increasingly common, and it’s driven by two forces: state law and practical limitations of urine testing.
Standard urine drug tests don’t actually detect THC itself. They detect a non-psychoactive byproduct called THC-COOH, which lingers in the body for days or even weeks after cannabis use. A positive result tells an employer that someone used cannabis at some point in the recent past, not that they were impaired at work. This disconnect between test results and actual impairment has made THC screening less useful for many employers.
Legal changes have accelerated the shift. California’s Assembly Bill 2188, which took effect in January 2024, prohibits employers from discriminating against workers based on the detection of non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites in urine. Federally regulated industries like transportation and aviation are exempt, but for most private employers in states with similar laws, testing for THC in urine is now legally problematic. Several other states have enacted or are considering comparable protections, prompting employers nationwide to adopt panels like the 5DSP/No THC.
How the Test Works
The process is a standard urine collection. You’ll provide a sample at a clinic or collection site, and the specimen goes through two rounds of testing. The first is an immunoassay, a rapid screening that flags anything above a set threshold. If the initial screen comes back positive for any substance, a second, more precise confirmation test is run on the same sample to verify the result and rule out false positives.
Federal guidelines set specific cutoff levels for each substance. For cocaine metabolites, the initial screening threshold is 150 ng/mL, with confirmation at 100 ng/mL. Amphetamines screen at 500 ng/mL initially and confirm at 250 ng/mL. Opioids have different thresholds depending on the specific compound: codeine and morphine screen at 2,000 ng/mL, while hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone screen at much lower levels (100 to 300 ng/mL). These cutoffs mean trace or incidental exposure is unlikely to trigger a positive result.
A medical review officer (MRO) reviews any confirmed positive before the employer sees it. If you have a valid prescription for an opioid or amphetamine-based medication, the MRO will verify it and can report the result as negative. The employer receives only a positive or negative determination for each drug category, not the raw lab data.
Prescription Medications That Can Trigger a Positive
The opiate and amphetamine categories are where prescription medications most commonly cause concern. If you take a prescribed opioid painkiller like hydrocodone or oxycodone, or an amphetamine-based ADHD medication, these will likely show up on the initial screen. This doesn’t automatically mean a positive result on your record. The MRO will contact you to verify your prescription before finalizing the report.
Having your prescription information readily available, ideally the pharmacy name and prescribing doctor, speeds up that verification. You don’t need to disclose your prescriptions to the employer or the collection site. That conversation happens only between you and the MRO if a confirmation test comes back positive.
Oral Fluid Testing as an Alternative
Some employers are moving from urine to oral fluid (saliva) testing, particularly in states that restrict urine-based THC screening. Oral fluid tests use the same drug categories but have different cutoff levels and detection windows. Cutoffs are significantly lower across the board: cocaine screens at 15 ng/mL in saliva compared to 150 ng/mL in urine, and amphetamines screen at 50 ng/mL versus 500 ng/mL. The tradeoff is that oral fluid testing detects more recent use, generally within the past 24 to 48 hours, rather than the longer windows urine provides. If your test order specifies urine collection, these saliva thresholds won’t apply to you, but it’s worth knowing the landscape is shifting.