Drug Test Abbreviations: What MET, BUP, BAR & TML Mean

Drug test abbreviations are short codes that identify which drug or drug class each panel on a test screens for. A drug test cup or dip card might list AMP, MET, BUP, BAR, MTD, TML and a dozen more. Each code stands for one assay, and many are followed by a number such as MET/1000, which is the screening cutoff in ng/mL.

Reading these codes correctly matters. MET is not methadone, BAR is not alcohol, and OPI and OXY are separate panels. A misread abbreviation can lead a buyer to order the wrong configuration or a program to misinterpret a result.

This guide lists the drug test abbreviations used on urine cups, dip cards and oral fluid tests, explains the ones people search for most, and shows the cutoffs used on our current products.

Drug Test Abbreviations Chart

The cutoffs below are the values listed on DrugTestingCup.com products. Other manufacturers and configurations may use different cutoffs, so always confirm the exact value on the product you order.

Expanded cups may also include newer panels such as nitazenes, tianeptine (TIA) or psilocybin. Check each product page for the full list and cutoffs.

What Does MET Mean on a Drug Test?

MET means methamphetamine. On many cups and dip cards the same panel is labeled MAMP or mAMP instead. All three codes refer to a methamphetamine assay, and our tests list it at 500 or 1,000 ng/mL depending on the configuration.

MET is one of the most commonly confused abbreviations because it looks like it could mean methadone. It does not. Methadone has its own code, MTD, and its own panel. If you need to understand that panel, see our guide What Is MTD on a Drug Test?

A methamphetamine assay can also respond to related compounds. Methamphetamine is metabolized to amphetamine, so programs often see MET and AMP results together. ARUP Consult notes this relationship in its drug half-lives and urine detection windows table.

AMP vs MAMP: Amphetamine vs Methamphetamine

AMP and MAMP are separate panels:

• AMP screens for amphetamine, which is the active ingredient in several prescription ADHD medications.
• MAMP / MET screens for methamphetamine.

Because methamphetamine breaks down into amphetamine, a sample can be non-negative on both panels. A non-negative AMP result alone does not tell you whether the source was a prescription, and neither panel identifies the exact compound. Laboratory confirmation is used when the distinction matters.

What Does BUP Mean on a Drug Test?

BUP means buprenorphine, the opioid medication used in treatment products such as Suboxone, Subutex and Sublocade. Our multi-panel cups and dip cards list BUP at 10 ng/mL, a low cutoff that reflects how buprenorphine appears in urine.

BUP is a separate panel from OPI. Standard opiate assays target morphine and codeine and are not designed to detect buprenorphine, so a program that needs to monitor buprenorphine must use a test that lists BUP. Treatment programs often test for BUP to confirm patients are taking their prescribed medication.

What Does BAR Mean on a Drug Test?

BAR means barbiturates, a class of sedative drugs that includes phenobarbital and butalbital. Our tests list BAR at 300 ng/mL.

BAR is a class assay, so it is designed to respond to more than one barbiturate. Some barbiturates can remain detectable for longer than many other drugs. ARUP lists estimated urine detection windows of up to 16 days for phenobarbital and up to 18 days for butalbital, while noting that these are estimates that vary by person and assay.

What Does TML or TRA Mean on a Drug Test?

TML and TRA both mean tramadol, a prescription opioid pain medication. Different manufacturers use different codes for the same panel. Our expanded cups and dip cards list tramadol at 1,000 ng/mL.

Tramadol is not detected by a standard OPI panel, so it has to be included as its own panel. You will usually find it on expanded 13-panel and higher configurations rather than on basic 5- or 10-panel tests.

OPI, MOP and OXY: Why Opioid Panels Differ

Opioid testing is split across several abbreviations because no single assay detects every opioid.

• OPI screens for opiates such as morphine and codeine. Our tests use either a 300 ng/mL cutoff or a 2,000 ng/mL cutoff (OPI/2000).
• MOP is a morphine-targeted label used on some devices.
• OXY screens for oxycodone, which standard OPI assays are not designed to detect reliably. Our tests list OXY at 100 ng/mL.
• BUP, MTD, TML/TRA and FEN each cover a separate opioid with its own panel.

A test that includes OPI but not OXY, FEN or BUP will not screen for those drugs, even though they are all opioids.

Expanded Panel Abbreviations

Expanded drug test cups add panels for substances that basic tests leave out:

• FEN / FYL – fentanyl. NFYL targets its metabolite norfentanyl.
• EtG – ethyl glucuronide, a metabolite used to screen for recent alcohol use.
• KRA – kratom, screened as mitragynine.
• GAB – gabapentin. GAB is not GHB and not GABA.
• K2 – synthetic cannabinoids, often called spice. Some devices add K3 or K4 panels for other synthetic cannabinoid groups.
• KET – ketamine.
• XYL – xylazine, a veterinary sedative found in the illicit drug supply.
• TCA – tricyclic antidepressants.
• EDDP – the main metabolite of methadone.

Browse our urine drug test cups to compare which configurations include these panels.

Specimen Validity Abbreviations: ADLTX, pH, SG and CR

Some tests include adulterant or specimen validity checks, often labeled ADLTX. These are not drug panels. They check whether the urine sample appears normal:

• pH – acidity of the sample.
• SG – specific gravity, which helps flag dilution.
• CR – creatinine, another indicator of dilution.

An abnormal validity result does not prove tampering. It is a reason to follow the program’s procedure, which may include recollection or laboratory testing.

Why the Same Abbreviation Can Have Different Cutoffs

The number after an abbreviation is the screening cutoff. The same drug can be listed at different cutoffs on different products. For example, our tests list AMP and MET at either 500 or 1,000 ng/mL, OPI at 300 or 2,000 ng/mL, and fentanyl at 1, 10 or 20 ng/mL.

A lower cutoff makes a test more sensitive. It does not make a result more accurate or measure impairment. Choose the cutoff that matches your program’s requirements, and keep the same configuration when you reorder so that results stay comparable over time.

Federally regulated testing follows its own rules. DOT testing covers a defined list of drugs set out in 49 CFR §40.85 and must be performed by certified laboratories. Instant cups and dip cards are not used for DOT-regulated tests.

How to Read Abbreviations on Your Results

Each abbreviation on a cup or dip card has its own test line. On most rapid tests:

• Negative: a control line (C) and a test line (T) both appear next to the abbreviation, even if the T line is faint.
• Preliminary non-negative: only the control line appears for that abbreviation.
• Invalid: no control line appears.

Read each panel separately and within the time stated in the package insert. Our guide to reading a drug test cup covers faint lines and invalid results. Rapid results are preliminary, and non-negative results should be confirmed by a laboratory according to your program’s procedure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does MET on drug test means?

MET means methamphetamine. Some tests label the same panel MAMP or mAMP. MET is not methadone; methadone uses the abbreviation MTD and has its own panel.

What does BUP mean on a drug test?

BUP means buprenorphine, the medication used in treatment products such as Suboxone. It is a separate panel from OPI, and our multi-panel tests list it at a 10 ng/mL cutoff.

What does BAR on a drug test mean?

BAR means barbiturates, a class of sedatives that includes phenobarbital and butalbital. Our tests list BAR at a 300 ng/mL cutoff.

What does TML on drug test mean?

TML means tramadol. Some manufacturers use TRA for the same panel. Tramadol is not detected by a standard opiate (OPI) panel, so it must be included as its own panel.

What is the difference between AMP and MAMP?

AMP screens for amphetamine and MAMP screens for methamphetamine. Because methamphetamine is metabolized to amphetamine, a sample can be non-negative on both panels.

What does the number after a drug test abbreviation mean?

The number is the screening cutoff in ng/mL. For example, MET/1000 means the methamphetamine panel uses a 1,000 ng/mL cutoff. The cutoff is a testing threshold, not a dose or a measure of impairment.