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Drug Test and Background Check for CNA, Phlebotomy and MA Programs

Most CNA, phlebotomy and medical assistant (MA) programs require a drug screen and a background check before you start clinicals or an externship. Many also require a state fingerprint check, which only the state can run. The first rule is simple: follow your program's written instructions, and if it names a screening company, use that company. If your program accepts any provider for the drug test or background check, Pact sells both online. This guide shows what real programs ask for and how to match an order to it.

Updated October 26, 2026 · Checked against the official sources listed at the end

Start with your program's instructions

Programs set these rules because clinical sites require them. Oakton College in Illinois, for example, says its health career students complete the background check and drug screen through a company contracted by the college, and that students without clear results can't attend clinical courses.

If your program works that way, order from the company it names. A result from anyone else may not be accepted, and you could pay twice. Pact's own order pages say the same thing.

If the instructions don't name a company, ask your program director or clinical coordinator before you order. Get the answer in writing if you can.

What real programs ask for

Three published examples show how much programs differ:

CNA, Carl Sandburg College (Illinois): a negative 10-panel drug screen before the course starts, and a LiveScan fingerprint background check under the state's Health Care Worker Background Check Act. The department arranges the fingerprinting.
Phlebotomy, GateWay Community College (Arizona): a copy of an Arizona Department of Public Safety Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card with the application, and a negative urine drug screen before clinical practicum, paid by the student.
Medical assistant, Delaware County Community College (Pennsylvania): an FBI criminal background check with fingerprinting, a criminal background check, a child abuse clearance from the state of residency, and a 10-panel urine drug screen before the externship.

State fingerprint checks: Pact can't run these

Notice that all three programs above require a fingerprint-based check or clearance run through a state system. Those checks go through the state agency or its approved fingerprint vendor. Pact does not sell fingerprint checks, and a Pact background check does not replace one.

CNAs also deal with the state nurse aide registry. Sandburg lists the state's conditions for being placed on the Illinois registry, including a criminal history check under the state act with no disqualifying convictions and no administrative finding of abuse, neglect or misappropriated property. Our guide to nurse aide registry verification explains how registries work.

Compare the drug list before you order

"10-panel" is a common name, not a single standard. Two sellers can both offer a 10-panel and test for different drugs. Ask your program for its list, then compare.

Pact's 10-panel is Quest Diagnostics unit code 65190N. It screens for amphetamines (amphetamine and methamphetamine), barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana (THC), methadone, methaqualone, MDMA/MDA, opiates (codeine, morphine, hydrocodone and hydromorphone), 6-acetylmorphine, oxycodone and oxymorphone, PCP and propoxyphene. It does not include alcohol or fentanyl.

That matters. UNC Health's checklist for advanced practice nursing student rotations, for example, lists fentanyl among the drugs its urine screen must include. A panel without fentanyl wouldn't meet that list. If your program's list includes fentanyl, Pact's 5-panel with fentanyl ($89) may fit, but it drops some drugs the 10-panel has, so check the whole list. If a drug on the list isn't on any Pact test, don't order from Pact for that requirement.

If your program accepts any provider

When your program confirms it accepts a result from any provider, here is what Pact sells:

Drug tests: 5-panel or 10-panel $40, drug test with alcohol $50, 5-panel with fentanyl $89. Each covers the urine collection at a Quest Diagnostics patient service center, the lab test, and review by a medical review officer (MRO). Nothing is paid at the site.
Standard background check, $35: SSN trace, national criminal search, sex offender registry search and global watchlist search.
Premium background check, $70: everything in Standard plus a county criminal search covering the last 7 years and a FACIS Level 3 healthcare sanctions search.
Name your program at checkout so the result or report goes to it as well as to you.
All sales are final. There are no refunds.

How the order works

For the drug test, enter your full legal name exactly as it appears on your photo ID, plus your date of birth. Pact registers the order with Quest and emails a donor pass, usually within one business day (Monday to Friday). Bring the donor pass and a government-issued photo ID to the Quest site. Appointments are served before walk-ins, so booking ahead saves waiting. Testing in New York, New Jersey or Rhode Island? Call Pact before you order.

For the background check, Checkr emails you a secure link. You enter your details and sign the disclosure and authorization on Checkr's site. Nothing runs before you consent.

Orders are taken now and start when Pact's Checkr account opens; Checkr then emails the person.

If you take a prescription, keep the details handy. A lab result that isn't negative goes to the MRO, a licensed physician, who contacts you about prescriptions before the result is final.

Timing tips

Read the deadline and the window. Some programs want the test close to the start date, and some sites set a maximum age for results.
Pact's page says most negative drug test results are reported within a few business days after collection. Results that need confirmation or MRO review take longer.
Ask what happens with a dilute result. UNC Health's checklist, for example, says dilute negative tests are not accepted and the student must retest.
Start the state fingerprint process early. It runs on the state's schedule, not yours.

Common questions

Do CNA programs drug test?

Many do. Carl Sandburg College's CNA program, for example, requires a negative 10-panel drug screen before the course starts. Your program's instructions are the final word.

Can a Pact background check replace my state fingerprint check?

No. Fingerprint checks and clearance cards run through state systems. Pact doesn't sell them, and its background checks don't replace them.

My program names a screening company. Can I use Pact instead?

No. Use the company your program names. A result from another provider may not be accepted.

Does Pact's 10-panel test for fentanyl?

No. Fentanyl is not on Quest's published list for unit code 65190N. Pact's 5-panel with fentanyl ($89) checks for it. Compare its full drug list with your program's list before you order.

Which background check should I pick?

The one that covers what your program lists. Standard ($32) covers four national database searches. Premium ($70) adds a 7-year county criminal search and a FACIS Level 3 healthcare sanctions search.