Workplace Drug Testing Benefits And Process: Employer Drug Testing Kits

Employer drug testing kits are a convenient and economical method that employers and organizations can use to determine if current employees or job applicants are abusing drugs. These drug screening methods help to identify evidence of recent use of prescription or illicit drugs.

When managers and business owners are performing drug testing at their workplace, employers tend to screen for the most common drugs of abuse. There are many types of testing kits and options for testing. A popular option is a 5-panel drug test cup which it’s used to detect marijuana, cocaine, opiates (like codeine and morphine), amphetamines and methamphetamines. However, some employers prefer using  10-panel drug test cups. These test cups are used more frequently than the 5-panel counterpart, due to their ability to detect a larger number of substances.

What are the most common reasons for using employer drug testing kits?

There are many good reasons why companies and organizations should perform drug screening and test their current workforce as well as any potential new hires.

• Prevent hiring drug abusers
• Decrease lost time at work
• Decrease absenteeism
• Increase workplace safety
• Lessen the likelihood of workplace theft
• Provide a safer work environment
• Increase productivity
• Lessen accidents at work and workers compensation claims

What are the most common instances in which employers perform workplace drug testing?

The instances in which employers conduct workplace drug testing depend on each business or organization. While the decision to drug test mostly depends on the employer, industries like transportation and aviation require drug screening for applicants and employees. Some federal agencies also require drug testing.
Drug testing programs for every company must be established within the company’s policies. If you’re wondering how to create one, the SAMHSA offers guidance on how to plan and implement a workplace drug testing program. A drug-free workplace program includes all the possible instances when employees or applicants will be screened for drug use.

Pre-employment

The most common form of drug testing performed is pre-employment screening. It’s a proactive measure to help protect a company from the possible negative impacts of hiring a drug abuser.

Post-accident

After a workplace accident, such as a car accident or an accident involving machinery, employers perform drug testing to determine who is liable for the accident.

Random

Some companies will perform random drug tests, selecting a pool of employees for drug screening. Employers usually notify selected workers within 24 hours of the time of the test to avoid adulteration.

Pre-promotion

For some promotions, employers can ask the candidate to take a drug test. The final offer may depend on whether the worker passes the test or not.

Reasonable suspicion

If the employer believes one of their employees is under drug influence, they can screen the worker for drugs with an employer drug testing kit. Some of the reasons why an employer may suspect an employee are frequent absences, lateness and poor performance.

Other

Other frequent types of workplace testing are periodic, when an employer tests their employees once a year or another period of time, and safety testing, which is required before an employee performs a dangerous task.

What type of drug screen should I use?

Sometimes selecting the correct type of drug testing method may be a challenge for companies and organizations that have never done any drug testing for employees and staff. Your choice should depend on the type of drug you want to detect. If you’re looking for recent

usage, the best option is a saliva drug test, as it can detect drugs within an hour of consumption. A urine drug test won’t detect drugs in such a short period, but it can detect them up to a week after they have been consumed, making them better for employers who are trying to see regular drug abuse.
Other considerations that can affect your decision are price and accuracy. Urine drug screens are cheaper, making them more suited to bulk drug testing. However, they are more susceptible to adulteration. If you want an accurate, tamper-resistant test, you can use either a mouth swab drug test or a urine drug test with adulterant detection.
In most cases, privately owned companies can decide what type of drug testing they will perform, unless they are subjected to certain federal regulations due to safety-sensitive positions. For example there are federally regulated drug testing guidelines through the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for employees that are to operate heavy machinery. Still, laws can vary state by state so it is best to check informational resources such as SAMHSA.

What type of drug screen should I use?

There are a variety of ways you can start drug testing your employees. If you are carrying out the hiring process internally then we recommend 2 options. Either you hire a company that offers onsite drug screening services or you do the drug testing yourself using products such as our employer drug testing dips, employer drug testing cups, or employer saliva drug tests.
Although drug screening services can be very convenient, they can also become quite expensive if your company needs frequent drug testing. Depending on which route you take, it is always good to be aware of the correct procedures to follow.
The flow chart below gives a representation of the process to follow when using employer drug testing kits:

Chart terms:
Medical Review Officer (MRO) – Medical doctor who has specialized training in substance abuse testing. They review the lab results to ensure that the correct testing procedures were followed by the collector and the correct testing panel was used. An MRO is there to protect both the employer and employees. They are a third-party agent.
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GCMS) – Analytical method that combines gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify the contents within a test sample. This method eliminates the possibility of cross reactivity and provides an exact nanogram reading of the drugs within the sample.

If you have any further questions or would like to place your first order of employer drug testing kits with us, please feel free to do so online or contact us and we can take care of it for you.