What Does MET Mean on a Drug Test? (Methamphetamine)?

Evidence-based answer reviewed against SAMHSA cutoffs and FDA assay documentation · Updated August 2026

Quick answer: MET is the laboratory abbreviation for Methamphetamine. MET is shorthand for methamphetamine on many cup brands — same drug, same confirmation rules as mAMP.

Reading your cup or lab report

Multi-panel cups print 2–4 letter codes beside each strip line. One line per drug class; a visible control line plus absent drug line = negative for that class. Faint lines still count as present (they're competitive-inhibition assays) — the classic misread.

About Meth

Urine: 500 ng/mL initial; confirm requires methamphetamine ≥250 ng/mL AND amphetamine ≥100 ng/mL.

Meth sits on all standard panels. Confirmation requires both parent methamphetamine and its amphetamine metabolite above thresholds, which separates illicit meth from pure prescription amphetamine use.

Detection windows

Ranges reflect occasional-to-heavy use patterns from FDA device inserts and SAMHSA-certified lab conventions.
Test typeTypical Meth detection window
Urineoccasional: 3–5 days · heavy: up to ~7 days
Saliva (Mouth Swab)any: 1–4 days
Hair Folliclesup to 90 days
Bloodany: 1–3 days

Related codes on the same cup

Cups group codes logically: AMP/mAMP (stimulants), OPI/MOP/OXY/BUP (opioid family), BZO/BAR (depressants), COC/THC/PCP (classics), plus validity markers like creatinine printed on lab reports rather than cups.

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Medical disclaimer: DrugPanels provides educational information about laboratory drug testing and does not offer medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Detection windows are population ranges — individual results vary with metabolism, dose, frequency and health status. Never stop prescribed medication to pass a test without talking to your prescriber. Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links; if you order through them we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

People also ask

Do prescriptions count against me?

No — verified prescriptions report as negative through the Medical Review Officer. Declare medications at collection and answer the follow-up call.

Sources & further reading

  • SAMHSA — Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (cutoffs, MRO process)
  • DOT — 49 CFR Part 40 procedures for transportation workplace testing
  • Brahm NC et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2008;83(1):66–76 — false-positive cross-reactivity reference
  • FDA — drug-of-abuse test device labeling (detection window conventions)