Pre employment drug testing is extremely important for any organization. Verification of employee's background is always considered as essential of assurance in the hiring process. Employee drug testing programs protects the health and safety of all employees. This testing proves to be an efficient method of managing drug abuse. It is a valuable tool to acquire positive employee relations, delivering significant cost savings, and providing corporations with a competitive advantage.
The drug abuse remedies can be done in rehabilitation centers and curing centers. Thus, drug testing should be conducted in many places to examine the levels of drug usage. The drug abuse is raising many problems that are directly causing employee turnover, tardiness, absenteeism, theft, turnover, attitude problems, deceased productivity, crime and violence.
How the test is conducted?
Usually, drug testing is conducted by sending the candidate to a collection site, where a urine sample is obtained. This sample will be sent to a certified laboratory for analysis and results are available within 24 hours. There are instant test kits on the market, which are similar to home pregnancy tests. It involves the employer to manipulate a urine sample. Although these tests are considered accurate for immediate screening, they are useless in the event of a positive result, since that requires laboratory confirmation and retention of a sample for retesting by the subject. Moreover, they are much expensive then laboratory tests.
What is tested?
Usually, employers utilize the standard five-panel test, consisting of Marijuana, Cocaine, PCP, Opiates and Amphetamine. Few may use a ten-panel test, which includes prescription substances that are used and possessed legally. Employers can also test for alcohol. Virtually all drugs stay in the system for 2-4 days. For regular drug users, such results can be detected for up to 14 days and sometimes even more days. If the test is conducted through hair, then drugs can be detected for about 3 months. To avoid the obstacles from second hand marijuana smoke, many labs have set a higher threshold before reporting THC in the system.
What happens if there is a positive test or abnormal test?
Laboratory testing has an extensive process to confirm a positive test, before reporting. Many drug testing programs employ a physician called Medical Review Officer (MRO) to examine all test results. In certain cases, the test may be negative, but shows an abnormal result like, “low creatine level". This denotes that the candidate have consumed excessive water or any alternative to dilute the sample. Though the test confirms the positive result, the program has the right to re-test the sample for their preference. For this purpose, the positive resulted test samples are retained.
The Pre-employment Drug Testing facilitates many employers to detect drug abuse among their employees, while screening them.
The Benefits of Pre-Employment Drug Testing There are several positions in the job market that require drug testing. For instance, if you are a driver of a semi-truck or bus driver, you must take a drug tests as well as submit to random during, prior to, and during your employment. It is estimated by the U.S. Department of Labor that drug use in the workplace is a major expense to businesses due to loss time, accidents, worker's compensation cases and health care. This major expense totals up to approximately $75 billion to $100 billion each year. Interestingly, the number of drug users appears to have fallen, although it could also mean that individuals have just gotten smarter about cheating on . In 1987, a national testing laboratory found that 18.1% of all workers tested positive for drugs. However, 10 years later in 1997, that number went down to 5.4%. The majority of drug testing is done off the business site at a collection site that performs the test and either offers laboratory services or sends the samples to a laboratory for analysis. Negative results typically come back within 24 hours. However, businesses do have access to instant drug testing kits. These operate similar to that of your typical home pregnancy test. There are also other testing methods available to employers including saliva and hair follicle testing. Businesses should know that one of the most common explanations for people who fail a drug test for marijuana is that they were exposed to "second hand" marijuana smoke. To avoid this, most labs will set a higher threshold for THC, the metabolite of marijuana that is stored in the body's fat. To try and reduce cheating on a pre-employment drug test is to specify that the person take their drug test at a specific time and date. This is to reduce the ability of the person to wait until the drugs are out of their system. Each drug and each person is different, but most drugs will stay in a person's system about two to four days. Chronic users of drugs can be detected for up to 14 days or often much longer. Sedatives can be in the person's system for up to 30 days. Most employers will utilize a drug test referred to as a "five panel test." This tests for marijuana (THC), cocaine, opiates (morphine and codeine), PCP and amphetamines, including methamphetamines. Some employers may utilize the even more stringent test including a 10-panel test that also tests for prescription drugs, both legal and illegal.
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Nate Rodnay has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Join the Army and Addictions. DrugAlcoholTest.com is an online store offering Drug Test and drug screening products in several formats including blood, urine and oral drug test kits. DrugAlchoholTest.com offers FDA-approved urine drug testing kits as well as DOT-approved alcohol testi. Nate Rodnay's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.
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