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At our 12 testing centers in Santa Cruz, Texas, Accredited Drug Testing delivers extensive drug and alcohol screening services. Catering to DOT and non-DOT regulations, our offerings include urine drug tests, breath alcohol tests, EtG alcohol tests, and hair drug screenings for both personal and professional purposes, as well as legal requirements. In Santa Cruz, TX, we offer quick result testing with SAMSA certified lab analysis, and same-day service is often available. Many centers are conveniently located near homes and offices. We also provide Occupational Health Tests, Clinical Screenings, and Background Verifications.
To schedule, contact (800) 221-4291 or register online. Select the desired test and a convenient location; tests can be arranged for yourself, employees, or other individuals. Booking a test is simple and quick—reach our scheduler or use our 24/7 online system. Our straightforward process ensures you can easily manage drug testing within Santa Cruz.
* You must register by phone or online to receive your donor pass/registration prior to proceeding to the testing center. You must bring a valid government issued ID along with the registration/barcode number which was sent to you by email.
When you're searching for drug testing near me or drug testing locations, we provide a simple and convenient process to find a drug and alcohol testing location near you that is certified to provide all of your drug and alcohol testing needs.
At our Santa Cruz drug testing collection sites, Accredited Drug Testing provides one of the widest selections of drug and alcohol testing services available. Whether you're an employer, attorney, court, or private individual, we offer both DOT and non-DOT testing options—ranging from rapid tests to comprehensive lab-based screenings—capable of detecting nearly any substance.
DOT Drug Testing and Requirements
DOT Employer Drug Policy Development
If you're an employer needing to test 25 or more employees and looking to save time and money, we offer mobile on-site drug testing where we come to you. Call us today for more information.
In Santa Cruz, TX, Starr County, around 15% of adults reported illicit drug use in the past year as of 2022.
Starr County reports an increase in opioid-related ER visits by 12% from the previous year in Santa Cruz.
Methamphetamine accounts for 22% of drug treatment admissions in Santa Cruz, TX, County of Starr.
In 2021, 30% of juvenile arrests in Santa Cruz were drug-related, surpassing state averages.
Over 25% of adults in Santa Cruz, Starr County, reported binge drinking in the past month, a concern for local health officials.
The Sheriff's Office in Starr County saw an 18% increase in drug-related crimes reported in Santa Cruz during 2022.
Drug elimination is the sum of the processes of removing an administered drug from the body. In the pharmacokinetic ADME scheme (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion), it is frequently considered to encompass both metabolism and excretion. Hydrophobic drugs, to be excreted, must undergo metabolic modification making them more polar. Hydrophilic drugs, on the other hand, can undergo excretion directly, without the need for metabolic changes to their molecular structures.
Although many sites of metabolism and excretion exist, the chief organ of metabolism is the liver, while the organ primarily tasked with excretion is the kidney. Any significant dysfunction in either organ can result in the accumulation of the drug or its metabolites in toxic concentrations.
A variety of other factors impact elimination — intrinsic drug properties, such as polarity, size, or pKa. Also other factors include genetic variation among individuals, disease states affecting other organs, and pathways involved in the way the drug distributes through the body, such as first-pass metabolism.
Drug elimination is the removal of an administered drug from the body. It is accomplished in two ways, either by excretion of an unmetabolized drug in its intact form or by metabolic biotransformation followed by excretion. While excretion is primarily carried out by the kidneys, other organ systems are involved as well. Similarly, the liver is the primary site of biotransformation, yet extrahepatic metabolism takes place in a variety of organ systems affecting multiple drugs.
Given the multiple organ systems and the variety of metabolic transformations present, drug elimination can entail a significant degree of complexity. Hydrophilic drugs are typically directly excreted by the kidneys, while hydrophobic drugs undergo biotransformation before excretion. The purpose here is twofold – biotransformation serves both detoxify the exogenous substances as well as to increase their hydrophilicity, ensuring their elimination via the kidneys.
Two broad metabolic pathways of hepatic drug transformation exist. Phase I is the direct modification of the target molecule, whereas phase II entails conjugation of the target to a polar molecule of low molecular weight. Phase I prepare the drug to enter phase II, but single-phase metabolism also exists.
Phase I involves oxidation, reduction, and hydrolysis of the exogenous molecule. These reactions are accomplished by hepatic microsomal enzymes, which reside in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum of the hepatocytes. Best known among them is the cytochrome P450 system, whose enzymes are predominantly involved in oxidative metabolism. Within the cytochrome P450 family (CYP), the enzyme responsible for the metabolism of more than 50% of existing drugs is the CYP3A4. Its activity encompasses various classes of medications, including opioids, immunosuppressants, antihistamines, and benzodiazepines. The enzymes can also be induced or inhibited by a variety of substances they interact with, including pharmaceuticals. The increase in metabolic activity with CYP induction results in a diminished activity of drugs targeted by that particular isoform. Conversely, CYP inhibition will result in increased drug plasma concentration, potentially leading toxicity. The CYP3A4 is induced by phenytoin, phenobarbital, and St. John's wort, while diltiazem, erythromycin, and grapefruit inhibit it. Caution is, therefore, necessary when administering CYP3A4-metabolized drugs in the presence of any of the inhibitors or inducers.
Phase II consists of covalent bonding of polar groups to nonpolar molecules to render them water-soluble and allow renal or biliary excretion. Target molecules enter phase II directly or via initial processing through phase I. A variety of polar adjuncts is transferred, including amino acids, glucuronic acid, glutathione, acetate, and sulfate. Glucuronidation is one of the major pathways of phase II biotransformation. The UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzyme family performs this activity. Typically, glucuronide derivatives possess less or no activity of the original drug, but in some cases, pharmacologically active compounds result. Morphine-6-glucuronide is a phase II metabolite of morphine with significant analgesic activity. As with the CYP enzymes, inducers, and inhibitors of phase II, enzymes exist and may influence the efficacy of drugs that rely on conjugation before excretion.
The first-pass effect is a feature of hepatic metabolism that also plays a role in the elimination of multiple drugs. Here, the enteric consumed drugs are exposed directly to the liver via the portal vein, where they undergo biotransformation before entering the systemic circulation. This activity reduces the bioavailability and needs to be factored into the dose administered to the patient. Intravenously administered drugs are not subject to the first-pass effect.
Extrahepatic drug metabolism takes place in the GI tract, kidneys, lungs, plasma, and skin.
Renal excretion completes the process of elimination that begins in the liver. Polar drugs or their metabolites get filtered in the kidneys and typically do not undergo reabsorption. They subsequently get excreted in the urine. Urinary pH has a significant impact on excretion, as drug ionization changes depending on the alkaline or acidic environment. Increased excretion occurs with weakly acidic drugs in basic urine and weakly basic drugs in acidic urine.
Excretion in the bile is another significant form of drug elimination. The liver can actively secrete ionized drugs with a molecular weight greater than 300 g/mol into bile, from where they reach the digestive tract and are either eliminated in feces or reabsorbed as part of the enterohepatic cycle.
Other pathways of excretion include the lungs, breast milk, sweat, saliva, and tears
Employers in Santa Cruz, TX, are increasingly adopting comprehensive drug testing policies as a preventive measure. Many local businesses collaborate with the Texas Workforce Commission (twc.texas.gov) to ensure adherence to state regulations.
These policies are designed to foster a safe working environment, and they typically include pre-employment, random, and for-cause drug testing. Local enforcement of these policies helps in combating the pressing drug abuse issues in Starr County.
The local government in Santa Cruz, TX is actively taking steps to mitigate drug-related issues through multiple initiatives. The Starr County Health Department (starrcounty.org) collaborates with community organizations to provide educational programs focusing on prevention and recovery.
At the state level, the Texas Health and Human Services (hhs.texas.gov) is implementing resources to curb the impact of substance abuse statewide, which includes efforts focused on the Starr County region, encompassing Santa Cruz.
Recent months in Santa Cruz, TX, have witnessed several high-profile drug busts. The Starr County Sheriff's Department recently carried out an operation that resulted in the seizure of substantial quantities of methamphetamine, leading to multiple arrests.
The efforts of law enforcement agencies continue to target significant trafficking routes, leading to positive impacts in reducing the street availability of illegal substances in this region.
Accredited Drug Testing offers fast, reliable employment screening services in Santa Cruz, TX. Trusted by employers nationwide for accurate results and exceptional service.
Texas Health and Human Services
Starr County Health Department
Drugabuse.com
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Texas Department of Public Safety
Recovery Resource Council
Texas District & County Attorneys Association
SoberNation
Texas Department of State Health Services
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Trish last week and Tatiana this week, very fun and easy folks to deal with. Well be using them more and more in the future.
Tom O - 12/19/2024
Trish was amazing and got me through the sytem very fast and swift. I had a hard time hearing her a couple of times, but she was super sweet and helpful throughout the process. Highly recommend her!
Sophia Schutze - 6/19/2024
I've had to use this service twice for out of state physicians we've hired and both times it was super easy. Both customer service reps I spoke with were super helpful and courteous. I won't hesitate to use their service again if needed.
Alicia Rau - 6/19/2024