Drug Diversion

janeS · February 2006

Hello All....

We are a 3200 staff Hospital system wanting to set up not only a Drug Diversion Program but also tighten up our Fitness For Duty policies and practices.

In addition to that we are also in the process of choosing products (breathalyzer and saliva testing materials) for random screening.

Can anyone recommend any of the above particular products that are easy to use yet highly accurate?

Thanks for any input you may be able to give.

js in ky

TN HR · February 2006

I'm not sure that you can get both easy to use and highly accurate all in one. You have the benefit of being in an industry where you can provide a for-profit service to outside entities while fulfilling your internal needs.

Gene

pork1 · February 2006

JANES: Welcome to the forum,we use only the urine and certified breathalyzer installed in our retained physician's lab. I would think that your hospital lab will have the equipment and the cerified personnel necessary for your purposes. But then, your Director of Labs may not want to do your test due to conflict of interest issues. However, your lab might be able to help you with your concerns and to acquire the retained labs/supplies that can do the work for your hospital.

The saliva screening kits are certainly available for your use and once you obtain the saliva that indicates a positive result you should be quick to take the person to the lab and require a urine test for the purposes of administering to a Drug and Alcohol testing policy. You can not and should not rely on the saliva test for any adverse personnel actions, but you sure can use it for the purpose of screening large numbers and then sending only those with positive indicators to get the urine test accomplished.

If you will go to my icon and send me a e-mail I will send to you our handbook in which you will find our drug and alcohol policy for your use.

PORK

WT · February 2006

I would suggest you set up a protocol similar to DOT testing for urine. Just a few examples: blue die in the toilet, record temperature of sample, employee initials sample, enough specimen for split sample, chain of custody from collection through testing, sample sent to third party lab for testing, opportunity to send split sample to a second lab for confirmation, protocol on how much water can be given if sample cannot be produced, protocol for dilute sample, protocol for "shy kidney" if no sample can be produced.

Further, what will you do with positive results. Will you terminate or give another chance? If you do rehab and give another chance, make certain that rights and responsibilities on behalf of both employer and employee are reduced to writing and signed.

If you let somebody go, and it is challenged, all those issues will be brought to light and unemployment hearings often bring such things to light.

LarryC · February 2006

Jane, you might check the state of KY drug testing laws. Here in the Land of 10,000 No No's, an employer cannot drug test their own employees using their own lab.

janeS · February 2006

Thanks to all who answered the post. Unfortunately our own Labs are not NIDA certified and their testing/results will not stand up in court should it get to that point.

I appreciate all of everyone's valuable info.

Jane in KY

TN HR · February 2006

"....Thanks to all who answered the post. Unfortunately our own Labs are not NIDA certified and their testing/results will not stand up in court should it get to that point....."

I think your only option then is to contract with an outside collection site. If the issue is the lack of admisability due to your labs not being NIDA approved then the on-site administered saliva kits will get shredded in court.

janeS · February 2006

My question to you would be: if we do randoms or Fitness' for Duty with saliva and those results are positive, then we do a blood and urine and send it to a contracted NIDA lab, the original saliva test will get us shredded in court?

Thanks in advance......

js

pork1 · March 2006

JANES: NO, I don't think that is what TN HR meant, if you take negative personnel actions on a positive saliva sample without labatory confirmation on a urine test, which is positive also, your positive saliva test simply gave you due cause to further explore the circumstance.

For all of you: I have recently learned that the Blood and Hair testing is "not available" for our company and employees to use as part of the appeal process as written in our company policy handbook. This week, I have changed our appeal process to say that a positive result is the bottom line and termination is the result. There is no longer a right to appeal any positive result which is lab certified positive result nor a refusal to provide a urine sample for testing!

I have also learned that the Blood test for Cocaine is less sensitive than the urine test. Our bodies have been determined to be more efficient and the same will remove cocaine from the body and plop it into the kidney for discharge. The hair particle is now considered to be the most sensitive. Hair particles do not wash stuff out of the system very readily, it has to be cut off. So our long haired brethen have more to worry about.

We will continue to use the DOT standards for drug and alcohol testing after any vehicle accident, but that can not be the only reason to terminate a CDL Driver after an accident. It will simply be just another factor to be considered.

Sorry, to steal your post, but it was available and close to this topic....

PORK

janeS · March 2006

Pork:

Thanks so much for the clarification. Your explanation was the mode of operation we were intending to use...so it's nice to know we don't have to re-do that part.

Thanks also for all of the Wonderful info you sent me last week. Makes for great reading and most thought-provoking....though I know you NEVER provoke!

Sincerely,
Jane in Lex.

pork1 · March 2006

JANES: Never provoke!!!! not usually and intended result, but it is so nice to be able to give another side of any debate, without getting slammed dunked these days.

May you and we together have a Blessed afternoon and week-end! I am headed to Jackson to see my grandson and that will be a real pleasure.

About the "stuff", you are most welcome. The physical value is around $500.00. That was the cost of the first and each legal review since the first one was developed. Make sure you check out this subject matter and make it fit your companies' needs. Not having a single physician or lab that would take a Blood sample and send it off for testing real shocked me and our management teamed. I like the new procedure; an out right termination without an appeal to the chain of authority for a positive result.

PORK

Drug Diversion

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