Drug Tests
A drug test is looking for the use of illegal drugs and the illegal use of
controlled substances. It is generally an analysis of the individual's
urine which has been collected in strict accordance with the guidelines
of the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA). All reputable drug
testing organizations will have very stringent chain-of-custody procedures
in place, and they will only provide tests that are GC/MS verified.
The Integrity Center Inc. offers consistent, thorough and economical drug
testing anywhere in the U.S. All drug testing is 11 Panel and GC/MS verified.
When properly conducted, drug testing enables employers to operate safe and
productive work environments. The Integrity Center works closely with our
clients to be sure that particular attention is given to the four primary
issues that would be at the heart of any legal challenge.
 
Authorization / Release
Federal law requires that you have a person's permission
to perform a drug test. From the risk management point of
view you also need to have a Release. We provide you a form
that does both, and we require that you use an
authorization / release that serves your needs, our needs,
and the needs of the chain of suppliers.
Drug Policy Creation
Many aspects of potential legal challenges are avoidable
if your company drug testing policy is properly written.
We can give you a free guide entitled "Developing A Drug
Testing Policy" to use when you and your legal counsel
are thinking through the creation of your drug testing
policy.
Collection and Chain of Custody Procedures
Another area that can cause a challenge is the collection
and chain of custody procedure. When samples are
collected at our Center, or at any of the collection sites
referred by Quest Diagnostics, the collecting site is
responsible for both the integrity of the collection and
the chain of custody. We deal with each applicant on an
individual basis, we are very particular about the
paperwork, and we take the time to be sure that they
totally understand and are involved in the chain of
custody process.
Laboratory Selection and Testing Methodology
The fourth main area of challenge concerns the laboratory
and the actual testing methodology employed. The seven
national laboratories that we use (Quest Diagnostics)
have all obtained certification from the National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Of all certification
programs, NIDA certification is the most stringent, and
therefore the most important credential to use when
evaluating the laboratory that will do the actual testing.
We also insist that the methodology and specifications of
our testing through Quest Diagnostics be exactly as
prescribed by NIDA.
The specifications of our drug testing program are shown below:
Collection facilities are available at The Integrity Center or at over 2,700
Quest Diagnostics Patient Service Centers and another 4,500 more cooperating medical
facilities. Specimens can be collected at a walk-in facility in most any city
over 40,000 population in the U.S. Copies of Quest Diagnostics' certification from
the College of American Pathologists, their original certification letter from NIDA,
and page 8896 from the Federal Register showing the 44 labs in the U.S. certified by
NIDA as of March, 1990 are available for your review.
The 11 panels test for 10 compounds, and for any adulteration of the specimen. The 10
compounds tested for (covering approximately 35 drugs of abuse), their detection
limits, and the screening and confirmation methodologies employed all meet or exceed
those specified by NIDA; they are shown in the table below.
The adulteration panel checks for pH level, specific gravity, creatinine level,
nitirites, and a Fluorescent Polarization Immunoassay (FPIA) test is used when potential
interferents are suspected in the EMIT screening test.
|
COMPOUND
|
DETECTION
LIMITS
|
CONFIRMATION
|
|
Amphetamines
|
1000 ng/mL
|
EMIT / GC/MS
|
|
Barbiturates
|
300-3000 ng/mL
|
EMIT / GC/MS
|
|
Cocaine
|
300 ng/mL
|
EMIT / GC/MS
|
|
Methadone
|
300 ng/mL
|
EMIT / GC/MS
|
|
Opiates
|
300 ng/mL
|
EMIT / GC/MS
|
|
Phencyclidine
|
25 ng/mL
|
EMIT / GC/MS
|
|
Propoxyphene
|
300 ng/mL
|
EMIT / GC/MS
|
|
Benzodiazepines
|
300 ng/mL
|
EMIT / GC/MS
|
|
Methaqualone
|
300 ng/mL
|
EMIT / GC/MS
|
|
Cannabinoids
|
50 ng/mL
|
EMIT / GC/MS
|
|
ADULTERANT TEST
|
NORMAL RANGE
|
|
Specific Gravity
|
1.003 - 1.030
|
|
PH
|
5 - 7
|
|
Creatinine
|
50 - 300 mg/dL
|
|
FPIA *
|
Negative or Positive for five classes of drugs
(Amphetamines, Cocaine, THC, Opiates, and PCP)
|
Drug test results for clients working online are available through The Integrity
Connection's encrypted interface the next day if they are Negative, and if
confirmation of a Positive result is required, the results will be available as
soon as they have been confirmed by the lab using GC/MS verification. In most
cases this is the second business day. For clients not working online, we phone
with the drug test results when we receive them.
Ancillary services such as Expert Witness Testimony by a toxicologist, Quantitative
Analysis, re-testing, MRO, etc are available. Please ask about the fees for these
ancillary services as they must be reconfirmed for each case.
* Fluorescent Polarization Immunoassay
|
|
