Substance Abuse Program Management
A substance abuse program managed by Fortier Substance Abuse Testing, Inc. includes the following services:
Policy Statement: A clearly defined written policy for inspection by a company’s employees. The policy statement should identify who will be tested, how often, for what drugs, and what will be done should positives occur.
Training and Education: Training or supervisory personnel on procedures for recognizing an abuser, and education of employees on the hazards of substance abuse is essential to protect employee morale, as well as he integrity of the program. Fortier offers 1 hour employee training and 2 hour supervisor training for state Drug-Free Workplace programs.
Employee Assistance and Substance Abuse Professional Referrals: Employees should be provided access to assistance program with information on how to get help for drug related problems. Primary objective of programs should be referral. Company covered treatment is a function of medical coverage by insurance.
Collection: Specific policies and procedures for secured specimen collection are essential. Improper collection will invalidate test results. A chain of custody process must be established at the collection site.
Laboratory: Laboratories certified by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, formerly NIDA) are required for state and federal regulated programs. Proper laboratory techniques insure the accuracy and integrity of the test results.
Medical Review: Test results must be evaluated by a Medical Review Officer (MRO) prior to being sent to an employer. This professional should review the results for accuracy and correctness, and interview employees who test positive to insure there is no legal reason for the positive. The MRO must be a medial professional in order to provide regulated program MRO services.
Quality Control: Specific guidelines on submission and management of a blind specimen program are required to test the SAMHSA lab’s performance for regulated programs. There are no requirements for quality control on non-regulated programs or for non-SAMHSA laboratories.
Reporting: Confidentiality of test results must be maintained to guard against liability claims against the employer. State and federal agencies require strict confidentiality standards.
Random Selection: Random sampling procedures, frequencies and proportions must be clearly defined. Currently, D.O.T. requires at least four selections per year, drawing at least 50% of drivers annually. State agencies Drug-Free Workplace programs typically do not require randoms, however, employers are allowed to random up to 100% per year.
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