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PRE-SCREENING PERSONNEL AND VENDERS WITH THE HELP OF IQM SYSTEMS |
Background
The majority of crime in the workplace is committed by people impacted by drug and alcohol
abuse. If your facility is to be secure, this internal exposure must be addressed. The IQM staff can help you by participating in the preparation of
your policy. There are decision factors of economics and experience to be weighted before
the policy is set and procedures implemented. Drug screens may be used as a part of the pre-employment
process, on a random basis, or for cause. The most important policy
tenet is that all employees must be treated equally. Both the federal and states'
governments encourage the development of such programs by employers. The Drug Free
Workplace Act is an example. The respective states have companion laws.
The Drug Screening Lab
Our affiliate lab is fully certified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The certifying agency for the program is known as NIDA (National Institute for Drug
Abuse). We have collection agents, trained by the lab, to go to your place of
business, or job site, and collect specimens for analysis. You, as our client can gather
specimens in compliance with our instruction, or we can arrange for a local clinic to make
the collection. The specimens may be hair or urine. We supply the collection kits, the
chain of custody forms, and the dispatch pouches with way bills for delivery to the
laboratory. The NIDA process limits the number of drug panels that are automatically
screened. Those are listed below. If a positive indication appears, the testing is
automatically re-scanned at a more sophisticated level. The Medical Review Officer looks
at each report and provides confirmation and telephonically interviews the donor if
necessary for clarification. Our staff can also help you by serving in the capacity of an
Employee Advisory Service for the implementation of your policy concerning employees. An
industrial screen is also available at a lower price. The Certified Lab tests more drug
panels but they do not automatically retest and the MRO is not involved unless otherwise
engaged. Positive tests call for a special response.
Alcohol abuse testing requires an instrument to measure breath expiration
for alcohol content. Such an instrument can be purchased from us for use at your site. In
cases were public safety is an issue, assistance is usually available from the local law
enforcement agencies. In the case of an accident, medical personnel can take blood
samples for analysis.
TIP: Never direct someone suspected of drug or alcohol abuse to drive to
a lab site for testing. If you have reason to believe there is a problem, have the
subject driven to the site and ensure the notice is properly given. Just think about the
liability and documentation.
The Common Drugs Of Abuse
The certified analysis, examined by a medical review officer, consists of a screen for at
least the following drugs:
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References
A. Federal Regulations About Drug Abuse Examinations
B. State Regulations About Drug Testing
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MARIJUANA