Melbourne, VIC
Drug and alcohol testing in Melbourne
Hair collected at our clinic in Brunswick West, analysed in Australia, and written up so it holds up in court. Results already in hand can be interpreted here too, whichever laboratory produced them.
- Brunswick West clinic
- Court-admissible
- Results in 5–7 business days
- Analysed in Australia
Two services, and the difference matters
Most people arrive needing one or the other, and they are not the same piece of work.
Collection and testing
You attend the Melbourne clinic, a small sample of hair is taken under chain of custody, and it goes to a NATA-accredited Australian laboratory. Drugs, alcohol or steroids, on the same visit. This is hair testing — the clinic does not collect urine, saliva or blood.
Interpreting a result
You already hold a result and need to know what it means, or need it explained to a court.Dr Michael Robertson reports on hair, blood, urine, saliva or breath results, whoever did the testing. Reports and opinions are arranged through the clinic.
Getting to the clinic
Our clinic is here, in Brunswick West, about 6 km from the Melbourne CBD — so Melbourne clients are the one group who do not need a collection kit at all. Same-day appointments are usually available, and attending in person avoids both the kit fee and a GP consultation fee.
- Address. 4/68 Melville Road, Brunswick West VIC 3055.
- By tram. The 58 West Coburg tram from William Street in the city; exit at stop 35, on the corner of Victoria Street and Melville Road.
- Parking. There is street parking directly out front, and the opposite side of Melville Road is unrestricted at any hour. On the clinic's side you cannot park between 7:00am and 9:00am Monday to Friday, and that one is enforced — so for a visit before 9:00am on a weekday, park across the road.
What a test costs
Every price below is GST inclusive where applicable and covers a 3 cm sample, roughly three months. Attending the clinic means no appointment fee on top and no collection kit to buy.
- Hair drug testing95 drugs in one run, no per-drug surcharges$599
- Hair alcohol testingEtG from 5 pg/mg, read against internationally agreed bands$699
- Hair steroid testing42 steroids, including intact testosterone esters$899
Forensic reports and consultations are priced by the field of law and the complexity of the matter — the full fee list carries every figure.
What was found is exact. When it happened is an estimate.
Which substances are in the hair, and how much of each, is measured to a very high degree of certainty. The laboratory uses mass spectrometry, which identifies a molecule by its mass rather than inferring it from a colour change or a reaction. A positive result is a positive result.
Dating that use is the approximate part. Hair does not all grow at the same speed — individual follicles grow at slightly different rates, and some are resting at any given time. It is the same reason a haircut never grows out perfectly evenly. So a length of hair corresponds to an approximate period, not to a particular day.
These are two separate questions, and this is the part worth being clear about: an estimated timeline does not make the substance finding any less reliable. The chemistry is precise. The calendar is approximate.
Who this is for
- Family law matters. The Melbourne registry of the Federal Circuit and Family Court sits in the CBD, with a second Victorian registry at Dandenong. Most of the testing done here is for family law, so confirm the required detection window and substances with your solicitor before booking — the timeframe is often written into the order.
- Employers and workplaces. Hair covers months rather than days, which is what makes it useful for a pattern rather than a single shift.
- People testing themselves. To answer an allegation, to document a period of abstinence, or to check a result that does not match what you know.
- Solicitors. There is a page written for you covering what to send and what comes back.
What makes a result hold up
- The laboratory. Analysis in Australia by a NATA-accredited laboratory, by mass spectrometry, to ISO/IEC 17025. Nothing is sent overseas.
- The chain of custody. Photo ID verified before collection, tamper-evident sealing, and a custody and control form giving the sample a unique identifier.
- The collector. Samples are taken by AHPRA-registered practitioners, not by the person being tested.
- The interpretation. A written report or verbal opinion from an independent forensic toxicologist, on this laboratory's results or another's.
Where can I get a drug test in Melbourne?
Hair Testing Analysis has a collection clinic at 4/68 Melville Road, Brunswick West VIC 3055, about 6 km from the Melbourne CBD. Hair samples are collected by AHPRA-registered practitioners under chain-of-custody protocol and analysed by an independent NATA-accredited laboratory in Australia, operating to ISO/IEC 17025. Same-day appointments are usually available, and results take 5–7 business days from the laboratory receiving the sample.
Do you do urine, saliva or blood testing in Melbourne?
The clinic collects hair, and only hair — it is the sample that carries a months-long history rather than a few days, which is what a court or an employer usually needs. Interpretation is broader: Dr Michael Robertson, an independent forensic toxicologist, provides written reports and verbal opinions on hair, blood, urine, saliva or breath results, including results produced by another laboratory. So if you already hold a urine screen or a police blood result, that is work the clinic arranges.
How much does drug and alcohol testing cost in Melbourne?
A 95 drugs hair drug test is $599 including GST where applicable for a 3 cm sample covering approximately three months, or $1198 for 6 cm covering approximately six months. Hair alcohol (EtG) testing is $699 and steroid testing is $899. The appointment fee is included when you attend the Melbourne clinic, and there are no per-drug surcharges — the full panel is the standard test.
Can you interpret a drug test another laboratory carried out?
Yes. Dr Michael Robertson reports on results regardless of who conducted the testing, and on hair, blood, urine, saliva or breath. Send the report you hold and the clinic will confirm what is needed; a written forensic interpretation is prepared for court, and a verbal opinion is available where a matter needs an answer before it needs a document.
Outside Melbourne, testing goes through your own GP — see all service areas.
Book your test in Melbourne
Same-day appointments are usually available at our Melbourne clinic, and results are back within 5–7 business days.