There are four main reasons you may need to get a drug test: for employment, legal or forensic purposes, for a sports organization, or monitoring opioid purposes.   Employment Drug screening tests are often a part of the hiring process. If you’ve applied for a job in health care, transportation, trades, pharmaceutical, information technology, or government, you can expect at least one drug screening test. Some companies may do surprise tests or mandatory yearly tests to ensure their employees are drug-free.   Legal Reasons If you are part of a police investigation, court case, or are on probation, you may need to participate in a mandatory drug test. This helps police better understand the cause of car accidents and criminal cases.   Sports If you know anything about professional sports, you know that doping can cause major scandals and end sports careers. Using drugs and steroids to enhance athletic performance is banned in professional sporting events. Basketball, hockey, football, running, and many other sports require frequent drug testing in order to participate in games and competitions.   Monitoring Opioid Opioids are highly addictive pain medications that must be regularly monitored. Patients with chronic pain may be prescribed opioids but can be drug tested to ensure they are not abusing their prescription.