Drugs & Testing

Hair Testing from a Leader in Science and Service

by Nicole Jupe on January 31, 2012

Hair testing provides up to a 90-day detection of repetitive drug use, which can act as a powerful drug use deterrent and often yields higher positivity compared to other testing methods. Collections are observed, making them nearly impossible to adulterate.

Quest Diagnostics Employer Solutions runs a dedicated hair testing laboratory with proven technology staffed by a team of experts. Our national and international collection site network delivers a convenient, consistent and professional collection experience. Only Quest Diagnostics offers hair, urine, oral fluid and instant testing, allowing you to create a customized, multi-specimen testing program, all though a single, convenient provider.

We recently implemented two hair testing kit enhancements. First, our envelope color has changed from white to bright yellow. We made this change to ensure that these envelopes are as visible as possible and that they are easy for our employees to differentiate from other packaging materials at the laboratory. The second improvement that you will notice on the new kits is the addition of an RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag. This tag gives us an increased level of control and helps to ensure the safe handling of your specimens. Our goal, as always, is to ensure a smooth and error-free process once we receive your hair testing specimens.

For more information about hair testing, visit our website.

The Benefits of Oral-Eze

by Aaron Atkinson on December 21, 2011

Three months after launching the industry’s newest oral fluid drug testing system, we are pleased to announce the positive feedback that Oral-Eze® is delighting clients, collectors and donors alike. Feedback from Oral-Eze® users is that it helps to resolve a number of the concerns encountered using other oral fluid drug testing systems on the market.

With some systems, collectors have no way of knowing if a sufficient quantity of oral fluid is collected. All too often, this results in an inadequate specimen that has to be recollected. With its sample adequacy window, Oral-Eze® resolves this problem. When window turns blue, typically within three to five minutes, enough oral fluid has been collected for testing. In the rare event that donor dry mouth prevents the window from turning blue, a collector can make an informed decision, as to whether sample should be sent to the lab or if an alternate collection should be performed. Whether the window turns blue, or a maximum collection time of 10 minutes elapses, Oral-Eze® provides an informed collection. And while 10 minutes may seem like a long collection time, consider how little oral fluid that same donor would have provided on a different device that was only in the mouth for two, three or five minutes.

Oral-Eze® also solves a primary concern presented by older devices which are treated with common salts and other substances designed to artificially “enhance” specimen collection. The Oral-Eze® collection pad is not chemically treated and has no unpleasant salty or citric taste. Numerous collectors have reported that this is a significant enhancement for their donors who often complained about the “bad taste” of some other devices.

As outlined in our video on www.Oral-Eze.com, the chain of custody seals and paperwork are nearly identical to other drug tests. Experienced collectors appreciate the fact that we mirror their existing workflow, while new collectors indicate that the instructions that we provide are thorough, detailed and easy to understand.

To date, more than 300 customers have made the transition to Oral-Eze® and as a result our laboratory is processing thousands of specimens each week. We encourage you to make the switch today, and to start enjoying the functional and technological benefits of the Oral-Eze® oral fluid drug testing device.

If you have any questions or to get started with Oral-Eze®, please contact our National Customer Support Center at (800) 877-7484.

Transportation Drug Testing Law Anniversary

November 8, 2011 Drugs & Testing

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) celebrated 20 years of the statutory authority to conduct drug and alcohol testing for workers entrusted with the safe operation of our nation’s transportation system. The Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act, signed into law on October 28, 1991, was enacted to reduce the abuse of alcohol and illegal use of [...]

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The Effectiveness of Workplace Drug Testing

October 13, 2011 Drugs & Testing

More than half of employers (57 percent) conduct drug tests on all job candidates, while only 29 percent do not conduct drug tests on any job candidates, according to a poll released September 7, 2011 by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in collaboration with and commissioned by the Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry [...]

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Prescription Opiates Rank Second behind Marijuana in Workforce Positives according to Drug Testing Index™

October 12, 2011 Drugs & Testing

The Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index™ is regarded as the industry standard for measuring and reporting workforce drug use. It is published as a public service for government, media and industry and has been considered a benchmark for national trends since its inception in 1988. American workers continue to use prescription opiates at relatively high [...]

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Bringing the DTI to Life

October 3, 2011 Drugs & Testing

We recently produced a new video highlighting information reported by our most recent Drug Testing IndexTM (DTI). The September, 2011 DTI release includes the first state-by-state analysis of methamphetamine positives and shows trends of methamphetamine use moving eastward across the United States. The video shines a spotlight on methamphetamine abuse and its highly addictive nature; [...]

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Adulterant Testing Using TestSure™

September 12, 2011 Drugs & Testing

To help ensure the integrity of urine drug tests, it’s important to perform specimen validity testing. Adulterants are foreign substances either ingested or added directly to a urine specimen to prevent the detection of drug use. Donors sometimes attempt to add adulterants, ranging from everyday household items to specific chemical additives, to tamper with the [...]

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