Are You Prepared for Oral-Fluid Drug Testing? – Drivers

Oral-fluid (saliva) drug testing will quickly be an choice for motor carriers when sending CDL drivers for DOT testing. Nevertheless, earlier than motor carriers can transfer ahead with the brand new testing technique, laboratories have to be licensed by the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) to course of the specimens.

Motor carriers ought to use this interim interval to:

• Consider whether or not oral-fluid drug testing is a match for his or her operation,
• Dialogue with service brokers,
• Replace their DOT drug and alcohol coverage, and
• Prepare drivers, supervisors, and program managers on the testing technique.

Use the next checklists to assist put together for the day when this alternate testing technique is available.

Is oral-fluid drug testing a match in your operation?

Contemplate the next when figuring out whether or not oral-fluid drug testing is correct in your operation:

• True price of testing. It stays to be seen whether or not oral-fluid checks will price roughly than urine checks. Ask the next service brokers to offer a comparability of their urine and oral-fluid specimen charges:
  • Medical overview officer (MRO)
  • Assortment website
  • Licensed lab
  • Consortium/third-party administrator (C/TPA)
• Detection window. Oral-fluid drug testing:
  • Detects more moderen use,
  • Is extra advantageous for post-accident and reasonable-suspicion checks,
  • Isn’t as appropriate for detecting persistent/ordinary drug use, and
  • Permits for a hybrid mannequin (urine and oral fluid) that takes benefit of each take a look at sorts.
• Dishonest. Oral-fluid drug testing gives fewer alternatives to tamper with the specimen or in any other case cheat on the take a look at. The gathering is straight noticed every time.
  
• Privateness. When in comparison with urine-specimen collections, oral-fluid testing is much less intrusive. This might make for less-hesitant drivers taking drug checks.
• Alternate testing technique. Oral-fluid testing gives an alternate testing technique for recollections.

Discovering the Proper Service Brokers

If oral-fluid drug testing works in your firm, you should be sure that your present distributors provide the service or line up new suppliers.

• Do your assortment websites:
  • Supply oral-fluid drug testing?
  • Have skilled collectors accessible?
  • Present the oral-fluid assortment kits?
  • Use a testing equipment that’s appropriate together with your licensed lab?
• Is your HHS-certified lab licensed to course of oral-fluid drug checks? If sure, do they course of the kind of testing equipment utilized by your assortment website?
• Does your MRO confirm oral-fluid drug checks?
• In case your distributors provide oral-fluid drug testing, have charges have been mentioned and contracts up to date?

Firm Coverage & Instructional Supplies

Motor carriers should replace their DOT drug testing coverage and the academic supplies to mirror oral-fluid drug testing. Objects to revise embrace:

• Standing orders to assortment websites. These orders should point out when to make use of urine or oral-fluid drug testing (e.g., take a look at sorts, direct observations), and whether or not to modify from one to the opposite as an alternate testing technique when permitted.
• Up to date drug testing procedures to incorporate oral-fluid testing procedures.

Motor carriers should present the revised supplies to each new driver and people transferring into safety-sensitive positions.

However a standard follow is to offer at the very least an addendum of the modifications to current drivers, in order that they know what insurance policies and procedures have modified and what to anticipate on the assortment website. It’s a good suggestion to get a brand new signed receipt from them. This follow demonstrates security administration controls.

Coaching Workers

Everybody concerned together with your DOT drug and alcohol testing program ought to obtain some type of coaching on the brand new drug testing technique.

• Program managers should know whether or not urine and/or oral-fluid drug testing is utilized by the service when:
  • Contracting with service suppliers,
  • Scheduling driver checks,
  • Auditing drug testing data, and
  • Answering driver questions.
• The designated employer consultant (DER) should know:
  • Which take a look at sorts require urine collections or oral-fluid specimens,
  • Whether or not an alternate testing technique is required by the service when contacted by the gathering website, and
  • Particular oral-fluid situations which are thought of refusals to check.
• Drivers should know drug testing procedures for oral-fluid, together with:
  • Preliminary assortment procedures requiring an oral-cavity inspection,
  • When a mouth rinse is required following an oral-cavity inspection,
  • The ten-minute ready interval earlier than starting the specimen assortment,
  • Assortment course of and break up specimen procedures,
  • Dry mouth conditions, and
  • Refusal to check situations.

Key to Keep in mind

When contemplating an elective provision within the security rules, such because the oral-fluid drug take a look at, you should weigh the choice after which make a to-do listing if applied.