Prescription Drug Deaths Triple in Decade

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/VitalSigns/PainkillerOverdoses/ The abuse of prescription pain medications kills 15,000 people in the United States annually, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “We’re in the midst of an epidemic,” says CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden. Deaths due to prescription painkiller overdoses now exceed the number of heroin and cocaine overdose deaths combined and have tripled since 1999. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) describes deaths resulting from prescription drug painkillers overdoses as “our nation’s largest drug problem.” Recent data report 1 in 20 or 12 million American adults have misused prescription painkillers like oxycodone (e.g. Oxycontin®), methadone or hydrocodone (e.g. Vicodin®). Middle-aged adults have the highest overdose rates. Health officials say that enough prescription painkillers were prescribed last year to medicate every adult every four hours for an entire month, and this type of drug abuse is costing insurance companies up to $72.5 million each year. The CDC reported that opioid pain medication abuse accounts for the most common poisonings treated in emergency departments and nearly one million people in the United States are currently addicted to some type of opiate. Many are working to raise awareness, promote monitoring programs, track prescriptions and advocate for drug testing. Specifically, drug screening helps to improve health and safety in the workplace, reducing cost to employers and risk to colleagues., Overdoses involving prescription painkillers—a class of drugs that includes hydrocodone, methadone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone—are a public health epidemic. These drugs are widely misused and abused. One in 20 people in the United States, ages 12 and older, used prescription painkillers nonmedically (without a prescription or just for the “high” they cause) in 2010. A recent CDC analysis discusses this growing epidemic and suggested measures for prevention. A Public Health Epidemic The problem of prescription painkiller overdoses has reached epidemic proportions. Consider that: Prescription painkiller overdoses killed nearly 15,000 people in the US in 2008. This is more than 3 times the 4,000 people killed by these drugs in 1999. In 2010, about 12 million Americans (age 12 or older) reported nonmedical use of prescription painkillers in the past year. Nearly half a million emergency department visits in 2009 were due to people misusing or abusing prescription painkillers. Nonmedical use of prescription painkillers costs health insurers up to $72.5 billion annually in direct health care costs. Groups at Greatest Risk Certain groups are more likely to abuse or overdose on prescription painkillers: Many more men than women die of overdoses from prescription painkillers. Middle-aged adults have the highest prescription painkiller overdose rates. People in rural counties are about two times as likely to overdose on prescription painkillers as people in big cities. Whites and American Indian or Alaska Natives are more likely to overdose on prescription painkillers. About 1 in 10 American Indian or Alaska Natives age 12 or older used prescription painkillers for nonmedical reasons in the past year, compared to 1 in 20 whites and 1 in 30 blacks. Steps for Safety The Federal Government is: Tracking prescription drug overdose trends to better understand the epidemic. Working with stakeholder organizations to educate health care providers and the public about prescription drug abuse and overdose. Evaluating and promoting programs and policies shown to prevent prescription drug overdose, while making sure patients have access to safe, effective pain treatment. There are steps that everyone can take to help prevent overdoses involving prescription painkillers, while making sure patients have access to safe, effective treatment. States can: Start or improve prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), which are electronic databases that track all prescriptions for painkillers in the state. Use PDMP, Medicaid, and workers’ compensation data to identify improper prescribing of painkillers. Set up programs for Medicaid, workers’ compensation programs, and state-run health plans that identify and address improper patient use of painkillers. Pass, enforce and evaluate pill mill, doctor shopping and other laws to reduce prescription painkiller abuse. Encourage professional licensing boards to take action against inappropriate prescribing. Increase access to substance abuse treatment. Individuals can: Use prescription painkillers only as directed by a health care provider. Make sure they are the only one to use their prescription painkillers. Not selling or sharing them with others helps prevent misuse and abuse. Store prescription painkillers in a secure place and dispose of them properly.* Get help for substance abuse problems if needed (1-800-662-HELP). Health insurers can: Set up prescription claims review programs to identify and address improper prescribing and use of painkillers. Increase coverage for other treatments to reduce pain, such as physical therapy, and for substance abuse treatment. Health care providers can: Follow guidelines for responsible painkiller prescribing, including Screening and monitoring for substance abuse and mental health problems. Prescribing painkillers only when other treatments have not been effective for pain. Prescribing only the quantity of painkillers needed based on the expected length of pain. Using patient-provider agreements combined with urine drug tests for people using prescription painkillers long term. Talking with patients about safely using, storing and disposing of prescription painkillers.* Use PDMPs to identify patients who are improperly using prescription painkillers. * Information on the proper storage and disposal of medications can be found at www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/ Poisoning/preventiontips.htm.

Compliance for Employer Drug & Alcohol Testing Programs offered by USA Mobile Drug Testing

http://usamdt.com/compliance-for-employer-drug-alcohol-testing-programs/

In 1986 President Reagan signed an executive order requiring drug testing for federal employees.  In 1989 the federal Department of Transportation requires private employers to test interstate drivers; the U.S. Supreme Court upheld drug testing and twelve state laws existed for private workplace testing.  Since then more private and public, non-regulated employers have recognized the benefits of testing being enjoyed by their regulated colleagues.

Any discussion of compliance for employer drug & alcohol testing programs must start with an understanding of the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (Mandatory Guidelines).  These guidelines were first published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), United States U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on April 11, 1988.  These guidelines establish scientific and technical guidelines for Federal drug testing programs, as well as standards for certification of laboratories engaged in urine drug testing for Federal agencies.

The Mandatory Guidelines also establish the National Laboratory Certification Program (NLCP), with comprehensive standards for the testing of specimens, quality assurance and quality control, chain of custody, personnel, and confidentiality in the reporting of results. Quality assurance is addressed for the entire testing process from specimen collection through reporting of the results to the employer. Specifically, the Mandatory Guidelines requires the Department to: inspect each certified laboratory at least twice a year to document its overall performance; conduct quarterly proficiency challenges for all certified laboratories; and support an external blind control specimen program, with quality control specimens submitted by employers as though they were actual donor specimens.

Confusion often exists because the Mandatory Guidelines apply to Federal Workplace Drug Testing programs which means agencies employees of the Federal Government.  This does not include Department of Transportation (DOT) regulated employers, DOT regulated employees or private employers.  It must be noted that the Mandatory Guidelines have set the foundation and the model for a comprehensive legally defensible drug testing program for all employers who conduct drug testing.  DOT’s drug & alcohol testing program, State law programs and private employers use these Mandatory Guidelines for the structure and model of the programs to be administered.  The DOT program mirrors the Mandatory Guidelines program with a few exceptions.

For a complete review of the Mandatory Guidelines with background information and information on revisions go to: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-26726.pdf

A part of SAMHSA, the Division of Workplace Programs (DWP) is mandated by Executive Order and Public Law to provide oversight for:

• The Federal Drug-Free Workplace Program, which aims to eliminate illicit drug use in the Federal workforce, and for
• The National Laboratory Certification Program, which certifies laboratories to conduct forensic drug testing for the Federal agencies and for some federally regulated industries.

DWP provides comprehensive information at http://workplace.samhsa.gov/ and a complete Drug-Free Workplace Kit at: http://workplace.samhsa.gov/WPWorkit/index.html.  A complete review of these web sites is necessary for one to be an expert on Drug Free Workplace programs.

The Federal Government does not require most private companies or individuals to have a drug-free workplace policy of any kind. The exceptions to this are Federal contractors and grantees, as well as “safety-sensitive industries” (DOT regulated employers).

Requirements for Federal Contractors/Grantees

The most important piece of legislation regulating Federal contractors/grantees is the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. This Act requires any organization that receives a Federal contract worth $100,000 or more, to establish a drug-free workplace policy. It also requires all organizations receiving a Federal grant of any size to maintain such a policy.

At a minimum, the organization must:

• Prepare and distribute a formal drug-free workplace policy statement. This statement should clearly prohibit the manufacture, use and distribution of controlled substances in the workplace and spell out the specific consequences of violating this policy.
• Establish a drug-free awareness program. This program should inform employees of the dangers of workplace substance abuse; review the requirements of the organization’s drug-free workplace policy; and offer information about any counseling, rehabilitation, or employee assistance programs that may be available.
• Ensure that all employees working on the Federal contract understand their personal reporting obligations. Under the terms of the Act, an employee must notify the employer within 5 calendar days if he or she is convicted of a criminal drug violation.
• Notify the Federal contracting agency of any covered violation. Under the terms of the Act, the employer has 10 days to report that a covered employee has been convicted of a criminal drug violation.
• Take direct action against an employee convicted of a workplace drug violation. This action may involve imposing a penalty of some kind or requiring the offender to participate in an appropriate rehabilitation or counseling program.
• Maintain an ongoing good faith effort to meet all the requirements of the Act throughout the life of the contract. Covered organizations must demonstrate their intentions and actions toward maintaining a drug-free workplace. Their failure to comply with terms of the Drug-Free Workplace Act may result in a variety of penalties, including suspension or termination of their grants/contracts and being prohibited from applying for future Government funding.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and Drug Testing

HIPAA protects the confidentiality of “medical records” of a “patient”. None of those terms apply in drug testing.  First, there is no patient.  Many state drug test laws state so. There is only a donor. Second, there is no record of a “medical” examination.  A drug test is not conducted to “diagnose” or “treat” a “patient”. It is a forensic safety exam to determine if an “employee” or “prospective employee” meets the “employer’s” work qualifications.  In fact it’s not even a “fitness for duty” exam.

Americans with Disabilities Act states as follows: (1) In general.–For purposes of this title, a test to determine the illegal use of drugs shall not be considered a medical examination.”

DOT has also published its position on this subject stating that HIPAA does not require employers and service agents in the DOT drug and alcohol testing program to obtain written employee authorization to disclose drug and alcohol testing information required by 49 CFR Part 40 and other DOT agency drug and alcohol testing rules.  Review this at: http://www.dot.gov/odapc/hipaa.html?prog 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Drug Testing

A test for the illegal use of drugs is not considered a medical examination under the ADA; therefore, employers may conduct such testing of applicants or employees and make employment decisions based on the results. The ADA does not encourage, prohibit, or authorize drug tests.  At the same time, the ADA provides limited protection from discrimination for recovering drug addicts and for alcoholics.  An employer may discharge or deny employment to current illegal users of drugs, on the basis of such drug use, without fear of being held liable for disability discrimination. Current illegal users of drugs are not “individuals with disabilities” under the ADA. If the results of a drug test reveal the presence of a lawfully prescribed drug or other medical information, such information must be treated as a confidential medical record.

State Laws – Private Employers

Since there is no comprehensive federal drug testing law effecting non-regulated private employers,  this leaves the field open to state regulation, and many states over the past 20 years have enacted provisions imposing drug testing restrictions of various kinds. Some limit testing to “reasonable suspicion” or “probable cause” situations. Some explicitly authorize random testing under certain circumstances. Some impose restrictions on public sector employers but not on private companies. Many prescribe specific methods for handling of specimens and the use of test results.

As a general rule, testing is presumed to be lawful unless there is a specific restriction in state or federal law.  Employers are encouraged to involve unions when creating drug free workplace policies.  The National Labor Relations Act requires that the terms and conditions regarding any workplace drug testing program be included in collective bargaining agreements.  Unions are generally not against drug testing, they work hard to protect the privacy and rights of their members while understanding the importance of employee safety.

Today, more than 550 state laws that affect workplace drug testing exist.  An employer operating in multiple states can greatly benefit from utilizing a national organization such as USA Mobile Drug Testing to provide drug testing services so that all state laws are covered and addressed.  This needs to happen initially with the company’s drug free workplace program policy.

Contact via e-mail:  thecomplianceexpert@usamdt.com for a comprehensive report on the State Laws for Drug Testing in your particular state, this is a complimentary service being provided for a limited time only by USA Mobile Drug Testing, LLC

Legal Defensibility

Our experienced professionals at USA Mobile Drug Testing can help employers to insure that their drug testing programs are in compliance and have in place legal defensibility.  Mainly employers need to have a strongly written substance abuse/testing policy in place. Our experience at USA Mobile Drug Testing indicates that employers that have taken the time to construct a written policy with proper testing procedures tend to be successful with deterring potential legal issues as well as resolving them if they arise.

Some of our USA Mobile Drug Testing clients have expressed that a vague and broad Drug Free Workplace policy works best since it provides more flexibility; in reality, a policy with well defined procedures are more effective because they set clear expectations for the employees as well as for the organization.

Legal review is very important, while USA Mobile Drug Testing can assist employers with developing compliant a Drug Free Workplace, a substance abuse policy should always be reviewed and approved by the employers legal counsel.

USA Mobile Drug Testing compliance specialists see it often where management does not know or follow their own policies.  Know and follow your policy – at face value, this may seem too obvious to even mention; however, you would be surprised at how often key personnel may be unaware of their own policy in handling drug testing issues – remember, a policy is only as effective as its use in the real world!

As concerns about drug use in the workplace continue to grow, there has been an expansion in the use of drug testing in the workplace to uncover these users.  It is essential that creators of drug free workplace programs keep up with regulations, Federal and State laws and best practices that are outlined by the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs.  Compliance specialists at USA Mobile Drug Testing are standing by to provide assistance – http://usamdt.com/.

Can Prescription Drugs Negatively Impact Employment?

In today’s world of routine drug testing in the workplace, employees are often concerned a prescription medication may affect a drug test.

A common concern may be “can I lose my job for taking it?”  Or “does my employer have a right to know what medication I am taking?”

Because some prescription medications can affect an employee’s ability to work safely, employers may have a legitimate interest in addressing them in their drug-free workplace policy.

“We are frequently approached by employers with questions about prescription drugs and how to handle them,” said Janet Matteo, Compliance Specialist with USA Mobile Drug Testing of Central Long Island, which provides on-site drug testing to companies.  “And fortunately, there are very specific guidelines on how to handle these situations, so that the employee is protected.”

Indeed, employers cannot discriminate in their hiring and firing practices based on an individual’s use of prescription medication for legitimate medical purposes, and such discrimination could be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The ADA also prohibits an employer from asking disability-related questions unless they are job related and consistent with business necessity.

Services like USAMDT help companies to handle delicate drug testing matters correctly, as they limit a business’s exposure to liability for making non-compliant decisions.

As Matteo points out, there are a myriad of laws which protect the worker in situations like this, and “it’s best to let a qualified drug testing outfit oversee this very important aspect of a business.”

Is your Department of Transportation Drug & Alcohol testing compliant?

Is Your DOT Drug Testing Program Compliant?

 USA Mobile Drug TestingCompliance Consultants are out in the field helping employers make sure that their required Department of Transportation (DOT) drug and alcohol testing programs are in compliance with Federal regulations.  Employers that are regulated by DOT must ensure that service agents used meet the requirements of the regulations. Recently, DOT again emphasized that many collectors and collection sites continue to make mistakes and errors during the collection process. 

Employers – you should be monitoring the collection facilities or collectors that you hire to make sure they are performing collections correctly and not making the errors .  It is an employer’s responsibility to make sure that the process is in compliance.  Ask your collectors about their training and about their procedures.  Many collectors have not received the five year refresher training required by DOT.

Clients of USA Mobile Drug Testing can be assured that their collections are done properly in complete compliance with all Federal, State and DOT regulations.  USAMDT Compliance Consultants meet the highest standards in the industry with over 120 hours of training completed prior to opening their territory. All collectors utilized by USA Mobile Drug Testing have met all of the DOT qualifications for training and proficiency.  Remember that USA Mobile Drug Testing Compliance Consultants always come to your location to administer all testing and make it compliant, simple, quick and cost-efficient for you.

Mobile Drug Testing in St Paul Minnesota and East and West USA

Great informative video from USA Mobile Drug Testing of St Paul..Tell the world what USA Mobile Drug Testing is about across the USA. If your not in Minnesota, we are across the country, give us a call to find a professional near you.

Mobile County reports Teens are drinking bleach to pass drug tests for school sports

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/local_news/mobile_county/police-teens-drinking-bleach-to-pass-drug-tests

There is one way to pass a drug test: Steer clear of illegal substances.

Pass this on to your teens, come clean but not with bleach..

MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WALA) – People will go to great lengths to pass a drug test, but the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office says there is a popular trend among young people who try to beat these tests and it could kill you. Some have been ingesting bleach.

With a quick search, your browser will be flooded with products claiming to wash away any drugs in your system. There are drinks, chewable tablets and a prosthetic called the Whizzinator.

Sergeant Joe Mahoney with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office said there is a reason this market exists.”As far as kids go, if they fail a drug test, they get kicked off the team. A probationer – over at the probation office – they go back to jail. An employee, if they fail a drug test they may lose their job,” said Mahoney.

Not everyone scours the web for a drug test solution. Mahoney said some people look no further than under their kitchen sink.

“We have had cases where they have ingested straight bleach, and it caused significant damage to their body,” said Mahoney.

Household bleach strips chemicals and odors from surfaces and fabrics, so you can only imagine what it does when consumed.

“It can eat away at your esophagus and enough of it can cause death,” said Mahoney.

Mahoney said he sees this trend mostly with juveniles.”There is more emphasis on drug testing in school, especially with sporting events and things like that, but there should be education to these Juveniles. You need to say ‘Yes, we are going to drug test and don’t try to mask it because if you do, you’re going to harm your body and this is what can happen,’” said Mahoney.

Mahoney said wreaking havoc on your insides is all bleach will do. Drug tests have gotten sophisticated and can determine the presence of foreign chemicals.

“Specific gravity tests will let us know the urine is not just pure urine coming from the body or if these other compounds are present or if there is a tremendous amount of water in the system where they’ve tried to flush the system,” said Mahoney.

Mahoney said there is one way to pass a drug test: Steer clear of illegal substances.

Mahoney said if you see someone drinking bleach, call poison control immediately or take them to the hospital.

United States has most online shops selling legal highs per EMCDDA-shocking information

Table 1: Likely country of origin for online shops in 2011 (*)
(Number of shops identified

United States 197
United Kingdom 121
Netherlands 61
Germany 50
New Zealand 31
Czech Republic 24
Poland 21
Canada 19
Hungary 15
Russia 11

Results
This snapshot identified 631 online shops selling new psychoactive substances/‘legal highs’
and shipping products to at least one EU Member State. This was twice the number of shops
identified in January 2011 (314 shops) and a more than three-fold increase from January
2010 (170 shops). As the search strings had been fine-tuned between the January and July
2011 snapshots, a check was undertaken to assess whether the increase resulted from these
methodological changes. A search conducted using strings identical to those used in January
generated similar results, indicating that the identified increase in number of shops was a
valid finding.
Establishing the country of origin for online shops is difficult. In cyberspace, with its lack of
geographical boundaries, it is not difficult for sites to present as having origins in one country
while operating from another. In addition, review of available indicators, such as contact
information, country code domain, currency and shipping information, can point to more than
one country. However, using the available parameters, it appeared that around a third of the
shops identified (197 of 631) were based in the United States of America, and a fifth were
based in the United Kingdom (Table 1). When compared with January 2011, the July 2011
snapshot identified a tripling of sites that were US-based and also increases in number of
shops whose country of origin appeared to be the United Kingdom, the Netherlands,
Germany, New Zealand, Poland and Canada. However, there were also exceptions to this,
with a stable number of ‘Russian’ online shops, and a slight decrease in the number of
‘Hungarian’ and ‘Romanian’ sites identified.

Most frequently identified new psychoactive substances/’legal highs on sale

Kratom
Salvia
Hallucinogenic mushrooms
MDAI (aminoindane)
Methoxetamine
(arylcyclohexylamine)
6-APB (benzofuran)-MEC (cathinone)
MDPV (cathinone)
Cactus
Methiopropamine (thiophene)
5-IAI (aminoindane)
Dimethocaine (benzoate)
Methylone (cathinone)
Hawaiian baby woodrose (active
principle lysergamides)

 

Online shops selling new drugs/‘legal highs’ operate on the edge of legality, and they are
often both vague and creative in the descriptions given of their products and their purported
uses. New psychoactive substances/‘legal highs’ may be sold as research chemicals, plant
food, bath salts, exotic incenses, room odourisers, pond cleaners etc., alongside more
indicative descriptors such as party pills, ethnobotanicals, herbal highs, and smoking blends.
The use of some of these terms has been volatile, for example mephedrone pre-control was
widely advertised as plant food, whereas after control ‘research chemical’ became common.

 

The EMCDDA’s briefing paper on ‘Online sales of new psychoactive substances / ‘legal highs’: summary of results from the 2011 multilingual snapshots’ is now available from their website.

http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/scientific-studies/2011/snapshot

http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eemcdda%2Eeuropa%2Eeu%2Fpublications%2Fscientific-studies%2F2011%2Fsnapshot&urlhash=2JK9&_t=tracking_disc

“FMSCA Figures Show Improved Trucking Safety Record”- because of less drug use USAMDT asks?

The number of large truck-involved fatal crashes declined by nearly one-third from 2007-2009, according to a new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration statistical report.

The most recent fatality rates and numbers — which were quietly posted on FMCSA’s website last month — showed that crashes declined to 3,215, from 4,633.

It also said that number of large trucks in fatal crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled dropped in those same years from 1.32 to 1.12 — a downturn of 26%.

Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled declined to 1.17 in 2009, from 1.59 in 2007.

Since 2000, the fatal crash rate for large trucks has fallen 54.5% – more than twice as much as the passenger vehicle fatal crash rate, which dropped just 25% in the same time period.

These safety gains are the result of many things, sensible regulation, improvements in technology; slower, more fuel efficient driving; the dedication of professional drivers and safety directors [and] more effective enforcement techniques,” American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves said.

USA Mobile Drug Testing of Central Long Island adds that perhaps the fact that FMSCA has very strict drug and alcohol testing requirements for drivers under 49CFR Part40, that has also contributed to less accidents for the big trucks.  USAMDT advises that the drivers are required to have yearly random tests, with specific instructions for direct observation if there is an attempt to adulterate.  Supervisors are also required to have training on spotting the abuser and how to have them tested under reasonable suspicion rules. Drug and alcohol testing can only help keep our roads safer by getting the abuser off the truck and into some program to help them. USA Mobile Drug Testing  is on the road and mobile and can perform those mandatory drug and alcohol tests not only to keep your company compliant, but to save a life, which could be your own.

But Graves criticized FMCSA officials for not doing more to “share this good news” about trucking’s safety record. USA Mobile Drug Testing would like to congratulate FMCSA officials on their safety success and also would like to see them promote this information so truckers can see how rules can help them and not just give them more procedures to follow and more expenses.

“We are at a loss on why FMCSA chose not to communicate this final data indicating great safety progress,” Graves said in a statement.

Dave Osiecki, ATA’s senior vice president of policy and regulatory affairs, said the new figures were even more encouraging than those released in a preliminary truck safety report in April by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

An FMCSA spokeswoman said the only new information in the final report is the Federal Highway Administration’s vehicle miles traveled and vehicle registration data. The agency published the initial results last year when NHTSA released the data, she said.

Some items obtained from article by  Eric Miller,Staff Reporter Transport Topics

What is a drug-free workplace and can any company drug and alcohol test?

What is a drug-free workplace?

A drug-free workplace is a workplace free of the health, safety and productivity hazards caused by employees abuse of alcohol or drugs. To achieve a drug-free workplace, many employers develop drug-free workplace programs. A comprehensive drug-free workplace program generally includes five components—a drug-free workplace policy, supervisor training, employee education, employee assistance and drug testing. Although employers may choose not to include all five components, it is recommended that all be explored when developing a drug-free workplace program. Research shows that more components may lead to a more effective program. However, because every business is unique, there is no one right way to establish a drug-free workplace program.
Can an employer drug test ? What are the state laws?

Generally, employers have a fair amount of latitude in handling drug testing as they see fit, unless their organization is subject to certain Federal laws (such as U.S. Department of Transportation drug-testing regulations). However, there may be state laws that impact how drug testing is implemented. For more information, visit the Working Partners website’s listing of state laws that impact drug-free workplace issues or contact your State Department of Labor.

DOL strongly recommends that before any drug-testing program is implemented, an employer have a written policy that is shared with all employees and clearly outlines why drug-testing is being implemented, prohibited behaviors and the consequences for violating the policy. DOL also recommends that if drug testing is used, it be only one component of a comprehensive program that also includes training for supervisors on signs and symptoms of substance abuse, education for employees about the dangers of substance abuse and some form of assistance or support for employees who may have problems with alcohol and other drugs.

Is Your DOT Drug Testing Program Compliant?

USA Mobile Drug Testing Compliance Consultants are out in the field helping employers make sure that their required Department of Transportation (DOT) drug and alcohol testing programs are in compliance with Federal regulations. Employers that are regulated by DOT 49CFR Part 40 must ensure that service agents used meet the requirements of the regulations.

Recently, DOT again emphasized that many collectors and collection sites continue to make mistakes and errors during the collection process. Here is a listing of some of the recent errors pointed out by DOT officials:

Custody and Control Forms (CCFs) received are illegible. Collectors should review all copies of the CCF prior to distributing them to ensure that they are legible. In regards to copies that are to be faxed, if the writing is light then collectors should make a darker copy to be sent via fax.

MROs and Employers are reporting that they are not receiving their respective copies of the CCFs despite multiple requests. Per DOT regulations, collectors must send the CCFs within 24 hours or the next business day and must keep their copies of CCFs for at least 30 days.

Collectors are not marking step 1D in the CCF to indicate the transportation mode that the collection is for (FAA, FRA, FTA, FMCSA, etc.). This is a new step for the CCF and collection sites should be sure to post notices within the collection area reminding collectors to mark this information on the CCF.

The donor initialing of the specimen bottle labels is being done while the labels are on the CCF contrary to DOT regulations that require the labels be signed on the specimen bottle.

Collectors are not adequately informing donors that leaving the collection site prior to the completion of the collection process (with the exception of pre-employment tests) is considered a refusal to test.

Employers – you should be monitoring the collection facilities or collectors that you hire to make sure they are performing collections correctly and not making the errors noted above. It is an employer’s responsibility to make sure that the process is in compliance. Ask your collectors about their training and about their procedures. Many collectors have not received the five year refresher training required by DOT.

Clients of USA Mobile Drug Testing can be assured that their collections are done properly in complete compliance with all Federal, State and DOT regulations. USAMDT Compliance Consultants meet the highest standards in the industry with over 120 hours of training completed prior to opening their territory. All collectors utilized by USA Mobile Drug Testing have met all of the DOT qualifications for training and proficiency. You can be assured that trained professional collectors from USA Mobile Drug Testing will not make the mistakes listed above. Remember that USA Mobile Drug Testing Compliance Consultants always come to your location to administer all testing and make it compliant, simple, quick and cost-efficient for you.