Drug Abuse Testing Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Drug Abuse Testing Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The drug abuse testing market is expected to register a CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period (2022-2027).

COVID-19 had a significant impact on the growth of the market. According to the article titled "New trends of substance abuse during COVID-19 pandemic: An international perspective" published in July 2020, forced isolation and quarantine during COVID-19 can impact the behavior of drug abusers. Additionally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2021, an individual with substance use disorder is expected to be severely ill or infected with the SARS-CoV2 virus. Also, as per the research data published in Population Health Management, 2021, a significant decrease in the testing for prescription and illicit drugs was observed, with a weekly test volume decrease of 70%. Hence, there was an increased need for healthcare and public health organizations to be involved in drug abuse testing during the pandemic era to minimize unfavorable health outcomes among the majority of the global population. Thus, COVID-19 had a significant impact on the growth of the market.

The drug abuse testing market is expected to observe good growth due to the increasing demand for drug abuse treatment, stringent laws mandating alcohol and drug testing, rising drug-related mortality, and increasing government initiatives.

The use of drugs was found to give rise to a lot of illegal activities that consume a lot of resources of a country. These aspects have driven the governments of developed and emerging nations to take legal action against addicts and abusers. Therefore, developed countries like the United States have stringent laws for drug abuse and have mandated alcohol and drug testing. To limit violence or accidents, drug and alcohol testing on the roads is becoming very common in developing and developed countries, which is helping the growth of the overall market. According to the data published by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published in 2020, almost one in third of adults in the European Union aged 15-64 or around 97 million people have used illicit drugs at some point in their lives, with the experience of drug use being more frequently reported by men than women. Thus, a growing trend witnessed in the drug abuse testing market is that leading players are enhancing their product portfolios by adding products and updating software with new substances for drug abuse testing to maintain their competency and market shares.

Identifying drug testing strategies is also necessary, as they may lead to the adoption of drug testing kits and devices and thus, boost the market growth. Other factors that are expected to positively affect the growth of this market include the increasing demand for drug addiction treatment, rising drug-related mortality, and growing government initiatives. This market is also currently growing due to technological advancements, increased sensitivity, minimal time required for testing, and facilitated detection of newly developed designer drugs. For instance, In April 2020, Cordant Health Solutions began a telemedicine-based oral fluid drug testing solution to assist in providing critical care to individuals recovering from substance use disorder.

Thus the above-mentioned factors are expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period. However, the perception of Drug Abuse testing as a violation of rights is expected to limit the growth of the market.

Key Market TrendsThe Urine Segment is Expected to Dominate in the Market Over the Forecast Period

Drug abuse testing by urine analysis has been suggested and implemented in many cases for workplace drug abuse, criminal justice cases, etc. There are many laboratory setups established to perform urinalysis associated with methadone treatment that has had to greatly expand their capacities. In recent years, many new laboratories have sprung up to meet the demands for drug assays, and clinical laboratories associated with medical centers, under economic pressures recent years, have begun to venture into drug testing. Therefore, the urine analysis segment of the market is expected to gain traction shortly.

Also, the technological developments in drug abuse testing, the increasing number of deaths due to drug overdose, and the growing demand for drug tests have led to the increasing use of urine analysis for drug abuse. Also, the advancements in guidelines by the providers are expected to boost the studied segment. For instance, with effect from April 2020, WellCare Health Plans introduced the new clinical coverage guidelines and claims payment policy for urine drug testing and included definitive urine drug testing as medically necessary as part of a routine monitoring program for individuals who receive treatment for chronic pain with prescription opioid or other potentially abused medications or those undergoing treatment for, or monitoring for relapse of, opioid addiction or substance use disorder.

Additionally, as per the article titled "Demand for interpretation of a urine drug testing panel reflects the changing landscape of clinical needs; opportunities for the laboratory to provide added clinical value " published in September 2020, there has been an increased adoption in the targeted panel of urine drug testing, and the value of clinical urine drug testing was observed to have improved by providing laboratory-based results interpretation and consultative services.

Thus, owing to the aforementioned factors, the studied segment is expected to witness healthy growth over the forecast period.

North America Holds the Large Market Share, and is Expected to do the Same Over the Forecast Period

North America accounts for the largest share of the drug abuse testing market globally. Drug abuse is a serious problem that can lead to legal, financial, and health problems, and the North American region is currently facing the same problems. Therefore, various initiatives are being implemented by the United States government to monitor the symptoms and to determine whether a person is under drug abuse. For instance, in October 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched four education campaigns aimed at preventing drug overdose deaths.

There is also high adoption of technologically advanced products for drug abuse testing, increased demand for illicit drugs in the region, and large-scale drug trafficking, which are all responsible for the growth of the market in the region. As per the data published by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion(ODPHP) in 2022, 14.2% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years reported the use of alcohol or any illicit drugs. Additionally, in May 2020, Cannabix Technologies Inc. developed a new version of its THC Breath Analyzer, and it has been involved in developing the device for additional testing. Thus, the rising drug and alcohol abuse and emerging new technologies to detect intoxication in the body are expected to help the market growth in the region over the forecast period.

Thus the above-mentioned factors are expected to drive the growth of the market in this region during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The drug abuse testing market is moderately competitive. The competitive landscape includes an analysis of a few international as well as local companies which hold the market shares and are well known. The major players in the drug abuse testing market include Danaher Corporation, Siemens Healthineers AG, Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Quest Diagnostics Inc., LabCorp, Abbott Laboratories, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., among others.

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