Why Amarillo Employers Waste Time and Resources on Drug Testing

The drug testing industry is constantly changing, but for this well connected Route 66 city it’s stood still. Substitution and fake urine products are easier to obtain and use than ever, but for many small and medium sized employers testing practices haven’t kept pace.

How far behind are we really? And why can’t the laboratory just handle it?

High trust and safety sensitive positions have mandated requirements for insurance, as well as any regulatory requirements per industry standards. These compliance requirements are necessary for ensuring safe, trusted workplaces across the country; However, Doing just enough to stay compliant doesn’t ensure effectiveness, and can sometimes end in unintended consequences. Sending an employee offsite to their own test may be compliant, but setting up a solid testing program that prioritizes accurate results can build or transform the way your company operates.

There are practical limits to what any collection site can control while still providing an efficient and respectful testing experience. There are also practical limits on what laboratory specimen validity testing can do. It’s not magic, and many employees are aware. Earlier I posed the question “why can’t the laboratory just handle it”?  By the time a specimen reaches the laboratory, many of the most important decisions have already been made.

From the moment an employee is notified of a test, opportunities to influence the outcome can arise. Depending on the testing program and collection procedures, an individual may have time to consider specimen substitution, attempt dilution through excessive hydration, or delay the collection by requesting to reschedule. The laboratory evaluates the specimen it receives

it cannot evaluate the decisions that occurred before the collection took place.

A due diligence drug testing program recognizes these limitations, and reduces unnecessary opportunities with respect and professionalism.

It doesn’t have to be hard for due diligence to give return on investment. It can be as simple as using oral fluid & hair testing per risk profile, using a mobile lab, or creating a wait time, and having a supervisor bring them to the lab. Specimen substitution products will continue to evolve, and employers should understand that the strongest testing programs rely on multiple layers of protection, not a single laboratory safeguard

Return on investment in drug testing rests on specimen integrity, and at the end of the day, the question isn’t whether your program is compliant. It’s whether it’s accomplishing what you hired it to do. Compliance establishes the minimum standard. Due diligence determines the value of the investment.