Your outdated Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Forms (CCF) expire tomorrow, November 30.

The 2010 Federal Custody and Control Form will be the only Federal CCF permitted for regulated (including Department of Transportation) drug testing beginning on Thursday, December 1, 2011.

Use of the 2000 Federal CCF after November 30, 2011
As of December 1, the use of the 2000 Federal CCF must be handled as a correctable discrepancy, and the laboratory will use the following procedures to correct the use of the expired 2000 Federal CCF:

1. The laboratory processes the specimen using its standard operating procedures for regulated specimens, and contacts the collector for a memorandum explaining the use of the incorrect form.
2. The laboratory retains the specimen for at least five business days from the date that action was initiated to correct the CCF issue, and reports the specimen results upon receipt of the collector memorandum.
3. If the laboratory cannot obtain a memorandum from the collector, the laboratory reports a ‘rejected for testing result’ and indicates the reason for rejecting the specimen on the report provided to the Medical Review Officer (MRO).

For more details, please visit our CCF webpage.

Please replace your outdated Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Forms (CCF) today!

Beginning on December 1, 2011, the 2010 Federal Custody and Control Form will be the only Federal CCF permitted for regulated (including Department of Transportation) drug testing. To review the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued document, click here.

Use of the 2000 Federal CCF after November 30, 2011
As of December 1, the use of the 2000 Federal CCF must be handled as a correctable discrepancy, and the laboratory will use the following procedures to correct the use of the expired 2000 Federal CCF: 

1. The laboratory processes the specimen using its standard operating procedures for regulated specimens, and contacts the collector for a memorandum explaining the use of the incorrect form.
2. The laboratory retains the specimen for at least 5 business days from the date that action was initiated to correct the CCF issue, and reports the specimen results upon receipt of the collector memorandum.
3. If the laboratory cannot obtain a memorandum from the collector, the laboratory reports a ‘rejected for testing result’ and indicates the reason for rejecting the specimen on the report provided to the Medical Review Officer (MRO).

Drug-Free Work Week is an annual activity in October to promote health and safety in the workplace. The inaugural Drug-Free Work Week in 2006 was established to encourage organizations to plan efforts focused on alcohol and drug abuse prevention. The campaign heightens awareness and encourages workers who struggle with alcohol and drug issues to seek help.

Some ideas for the Drug-Free Work Week include:

• Launch a corporate drug-free workplace program
• Educate employees about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse and its negative impact on their career paths
• Offer resources for assistance with abuse such as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or Member Assistance Program (MAP)
• Train leadership to champion a drug-free work environment
• Create communication and events featuring drug-free messaging
• Advocate for state-wide drug-free workplace incentive programs

For more information about Drug-Free Work Week, visit the United States Department of Labor website.

The final rule regarding the use of the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (CCF) was issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT). This rule lengthens the use of the 2000 CCF until the new deadline of November 30, 2011. The Final Rule finalizes protocol for use of the new CCF.

To review the Department of Transportation issued document, click here.

Again, the best business practice in preparation of this deadline extension is to replace the old form with the new CCF. Please don’t delay.

The use of illicit drugs among Americans increased between 2008 and 2010 according to a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that 22.6 million Americans 12 or older (8.9-percent of the population) were current illicit drug users. The rate of use in 2010 was similar to the rate in 2009 (8.7-percent), but remained above the 2008 rate (8- percent).

An increased rate in the current use of marijuana seems to be one of the prime factors in the overall rise in illicit drug use. In 2010, 17.4 million Americans were current users of marijuana – compared to 14.4 million in 2007. This represents an increase in the rate of current marijuana use in the population 12 and older from 5.8-percent in 2007 to 6.9-percent in 2010.

Another disturbing trend is the continuing rise in the rate of current illicit drug use among young adults aged 18 to 25 — from 19.6-percent in 2008 to 21.2-percent in 2009 and 21.5-percent in 2010. This increase was also driven in large part by a rise in the rate of current marijuana use among this population.

Click here to read the full SAMHSA news release.

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is allowing the use of the 2000 Federal Custody and Control Form (CCF) through November 30, 2011 for federal workplace drug testing specimens. Both the 2010 and 2000 versions of the Federal CCF are acceptable during this time for Federal agency employee specimens. Beginning December 1, 2011, the use of the 2000 Federal CCF must be handled as a correctable discrepancy. This notice does not apply to US Department of Transportation (DOT) mandated specimens and we expect that the DOT will be issuing additional guidance in the near future.

The best business practice in preparation of this deadline is to replace the old CCF with the new forms. Please don’t delay.

Use of the 2000 Federal CCF after November 30, 2011
Laboratories must use the following procedures to correct the use of the expired 2000 Federal CCF as of December 1, 2011 for Federal agency specimens: The laboratory processes the specimen using its standard operating procedures for regulated specimens, and contacts the collector for a memorandum explaining the use of the incorrect form. The laboratory retains the specimen for at least 5 business days from the date that action was initiated to correct the CCF issue, and reports the specimen results upon receipt of the collector memorandum. If the laboratory cannot obtain a memorandum from the collector, the laboratory reports a rejected for testing result and indicates the reason for rejecting the specimen on the report to the Medical Review Officer (MRO).

From National Public Radio…

In many ways, things have been looking up for supporters of medical marijuana. Opinion polls now suggest that the American public is swinging behind the idea — and it’s already legal in 16 states and the District of Columbia. But the Obama administration has been taking a very different view lately.

Click here to read the full article, or listen to the radio spot by clicking here.