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Employers, TPAs and others in the drug testing industry have calculated their drug testing program savings more than 10,000 times using the Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing ROI Calculator. Our free, online calculator helps you calculate how much your company can save/is saving with a drug testing program from Quest Diagnostics. Have you tried it yet?

With the summer hiring season upon us, now is a great time to really understand the benefits and savings of having a drug testing program. If you haven’t taken the time yet, spend five minutes and calculate how much your company can save with a drug testing program using our Drug Testing ROI Calculator.

In workplace drug testing programs, testing for alcohol may be accomplished using a variety of specimen types – urine, saliva, blood and breath. The selection of the specific specimen type for alcohol screening should be based on the goals of the drug testing program and how the results will be used.

Urine
Urine is the most commonly used specimen for testing for a wide variety of drug substances, both illicit and prescribed (i.e., prescription drugs, for which their use or misuse could impact workplace safety) drugs. However, it is less commonly utilized for alcohol screening – especially in post-incident or reasonable suspicion testing. Urine testing detects recent use of a substance, but a positive urine test does not necessarily mean that an individual was “under the influence” at the time of the collection/test, nor can it indicate how frequently a substance was used or when it was last used.  Consequently, one of the other testing methods below is recommended for alcohol testing, especially in post-incident or reasonable suspicion testing situations.

Saliva
Saliva is commonly used in screening for workplace alcohol use and saliva screening is one of the methods recognized by the Department of Transportation (DOT) for alcohol testing. Saliva alcohol screening devices (ASDs) that are approved for use in DOT mandated testing programs are listed on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Conforming Products List (CPL). While there is a high degree of correlation between blood and saliva alcohol levels, any presumptive positive saliva test would need to be confirmed – either through blood or breath – and DOT rules require confirmation using breath alcohol. One advantage of saliva ASDs is that they may be easily utilized by the employer at the employer’s location by a trained screening test technician (STT), eliminating the need to transport the employee/applicant to a third-party collection site, unless there is a non-negative screen result requiring confirmation.

Blood
There are a number of studies that correlate blood alcohol levels to performance and impairment. Most States use a cutoff of 0.08 gm% as presumption of impairment for operation of a motor vehicle. However, collection of the blood specimen is considered to be more invasive due to the need for venipuncture. Consequently, blood alcohol testing is less commonly used for workplace screening purposes and is more likely to be used for confirmatory purposes when there a presumptive positive screening result.

Breath
Evidential breath testing (EBT) for alcohol is utilized in both DOT-mandated and company-policy alcohol testing. EBTs are used for both screening and confirmatory purposes and the test may be performed at a third-party location or “on-site” at the employer location by a trained breath alcohol technician (BAT). EBTs approved for DOT testing programs also appear on the NHTSA-CPL. The correlation between breath and blood alcohol results is well documented and the results of these tests are commonly used as evidence of impairment or “fitness for duty”.

There are also several breath ASDs – some of which are listed on the NHTSA-CPL. Any presumptive positive test obtained with any of these ASDs would also need to be confirmed with the permitted confirmatory method.

Your feedback told us that you wanted one group to contact for all of your daily needs, questions and information. And, your responses to our annual satisfaction surveys indicate that our National Customer Support Center is fulfilling those requirements.

The National Customer Support Center can process supply orders, locate specimens or collection sites, provide testing statuses and ensure that you receive your test results and CCF paperwork. The department is staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST – Monday through Friday, with trained professionals equipped to promptly answer your call – typically within 30 seconds – and to successfully satisfy your request while you are on the phone the first time.

The National Customer Support Center has proven to be a valuable resource for your drug testing programs, and we encourage you to continue to involve them in making sure your program is tailored to your needs and operating as smoothly as possible. They can be reached via an online contact us form or at 800-877-7484.

Clients who use our Integrated Solutions (QIS) system to manage their drug testing programs can now schedule their donor’s Patient Service Center (PSC) collection appointment from within QIS. The next time you place an electronic drug testing order from QIS, be sure to take advantage of this new convenience.

At Quest Diagnostics, we are receiving a number of questions from our employer customers about how they should address the implications of the H1N1 influenza virus in the workplace. The information below is designed to educate employers and employees on what can be done to reduce the workplace risks associated with H1N1 influenza.

The H1N1 influenza virus presents a threat to the health and safety of your employees. As a result, the attendance and productivity of your workforce is also at risk. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has published a tremendous, fact-based resource for anyone interested in learning more. On their website, the CDC states, “If you are sick, you may be ill for a week or longer. You should stay home and keep away from others as much as possible, including avoiding travel and not going to work or school, for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities.” This is an important message for employees and for employers. Since the H1N1 virus is spread via person-to-person contact, it is essential that individuals who test positive for the H1N1 virus not come to work while they are ill.

Individuals who exhibit flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, headaches, body aches, fatigue, cough, sore throat, shortness of breadth, vomiting and diarrhea should consult with their physician. A physician may decide to test specifically for the H1N1 influenza virus and prescribe treatment.

Quest Diagnostics is the first commercial lab to be granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the FDA to test for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Additionally, Quest Diagnostics is also the first lab able to differentiate the seasonal flu virus from the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus – an important distinction as treatment options are considered.

We have a variety of resources to assist individuals and employers who are interested in learning more about the H1N1 influenza virus.

- Quest Diagnostics aired a webinar discussing the H1N1 influenza virus and its impacts

- Quest Diagnostics has also published an online educational resource

- The Center for Disease Control website presents information on symptoms, treatment, etc.