DOT/ NON-DOT DRUG TESTING

Urinalysis is the most common test type and used by federally mandated drug testing programs. When drugs are taken in any form, traces end up in the urine within a very short time. Depending on the drug taken, they will remain in the urine for days or weeks. If drugs are present, our drug testing system will identify them. We do 5-panel DOT and non-DOT drug testing, plus 10-panel non-DOT drug testing, or any combination thereof, as required by the employer. Whether your business requires pre-employment, post-accident, random, Reasonable-Suspicion, Return-to-Duty or Follow-Up testing programs, we can provide you with 24-hour negative and pending notification, and 48-hour positive verification.

Laboratory testing includes collection of the sample, transport to the laboratory, analysis, confirmation by a certified laboratory and a test review by a Medical Review Officer. We work under contract with some of the nation’s major Drug Testing Laboratories including: Quest Diagnostics, Medtox Laboratories, Lab Corp, Redwood Toxicology, One Source Toxicology, Team CME  and many more.

When an employer requests a drug test from an employee the employee is instructed to go to a collection site. There, the employee’s urine is collected in a specially designed secure cup and sealed with a tamper resistant tape. The cup is then sent by express delivery service to a testing laboratory where it will be tested for several drugs. The first step at the testing site is to split the urine into two aliquots. One aliquot is first screened for drugs using an analyzer that performs immunoassay as the initial screen. If the urine screen is positive then another aliquot of the sample is used to confirm the findings by gas chromatography - mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) methodology. All test results are relayed to an MRO (Medical Review Officer) where a medical physician reviews the results. If the result of the screen is negative, the MRO informs the employer that the employee is clean and has no detectable drug in the urine.

New regulations from the U.S. Department of Transportation are requiring that specimens which indicate a low temperature or show signs of adulteration be admitted with a second specimen from the donor, which is collected under direct observation. That is, the donor voids in full view of the collector or observer. The new regulations also require that the donor raise and lower clothing and turn around in front of the collector or observer to show that the donor is not in possession of any device or substance with intent to falsify the test. In several states, it is illegal to sell or possess such a device or substance.

Drug and Alcohol Tests

• Pre-Employment - document pre-existing or past injuries. Decreases the chance of hiring     someone that is currently using drugs.? This is by far the most common type of drug test used by businesses.
• Pre-Promotion - Avoid promotions to drug abusers by testing prior to promoting within  an organization.?
• Annual Physical - Identifies current users so that they may receive assistance and/or disciplinary action.?
• Reasonable Suspicion - Test employees that show obvious signs of being unfit for duty or have documented patterns of unsafe work behavior. This protects the safety and well being of the employee and the coworkers. It also provides an opportunity for rehabilitation. ?
• Random Testing - Random drug testing is the most effective format. Unpredictable and random testing is commonly used in safety and security sensitive positions. The goal of random testing is to discourage drug use among employees, inmates, or students by not telling anyone who or when or where they are to be tested in advance. By using random testing, companies discourage use and abuse and are able to refer these people for disciplinary actions or assist them in obtaining treatment.?  Random drug testing consortium is available.
• Post Accident Testing - After hours services available to provide post accident drug and alcohol testing per DOT regulations.  Post-incident drug testing is not a very commonly administered test compared to the others, but the financial ramifications of not testing employees after an accident (or other incident) on the job makes this test worthwhile for most businesses. The point of this test is not necessarily to cause the employee to lose his or her job, but rather to protect the company from liability in the event that the individual is under the influence at the time of the accident. If drugs or alcohol are detected in any significant quantity, the argument can be made in court that the individual was intoxicated on the job, and for that reason, the company should not be held liable for injuries sustained by the employee.

Employers are required to test their DOT-regulated safety-sensitive employees for the following five controlled substances:

• Marijuana (THC)
• Cocaine
• Opiates
• Amphetamines
• Phencyclidine (PCP)