Drug & Alcohol Testing

Employee drug testing is increasingly being carried out by organisations due to the general recognition that the use of alcohol and other recreational drugs can present a hazard in the workplace. Drug testing may also be useful in pre-employment assessment. The main goals of urine testing include:

To improve workplace safety
To improve productivity
To reduce product/service defects
To help employees overcome or modify their patterns of use of such substances

Urine Drug Testing In Accordance With AS/NZS 4308:2008

Drugs are well concentrated and excreted in urine, and testing involves techniques for detecting the various substances in a sample of urine. The collection of the sample and the subsequent laboratory testing is carried out in accordance with AS/NZS 4308:2008.
The following drugs are tested to AS/NZS 4308: 2008:

Cannabinoids (i.e. marijuana)
Amphetamine Substances (e.g. speed, ecstasy etc.)
Benzodiazepines (valium etc.)
Cocaine
Opiates (e.g. heroin, morphine)

URINE DRUG TESTING

In addition, we offer standard drug screen testing, which in addition to the above covers:

Barbiturates
Alcohol (ethanol)
Methadone Metabolite
Phencyclidine

Other drug classes can be tested upon request.

Urine Collection

Urine for testing may be collected either supervised or witnessed according to the company's OH&S protocol. Supervised collections are standard Healthscope Commercial Pathology policy and are carried out by trained collection staff. Such collections can be performed, in accordance with the AS/NZS 4308:2008 on request by the Client. Collection, labeling and transport of the sample are carried out according to strict 'Chain of Custody' protocols as described in National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) guidelines. Chain of Custody documentation and procedures are designed to protect sample integrity and avoid sample tampering and claims of misidentification.

Urine Drug Collection Kit

Healthscope Commercial Pathology provides a convenient kit to facilitate urine specimen collection and labeling. The kit consists of a strong plastic transport tube with screw-on lid, two specimen bottles and caps, specimen ID labels, Chain of Custody request form, tamper-proof seals, temperature strip, specimen plastic bag. The kits are suitable for mailing or transport to Healthscope Commercial Pathology laboratories.

Urine Screening Testing and Confirmation

In accordance with theAS/NZS 4308:2008, the initial laboratory testing is a 'screening test'. Healthscope Commercial Pathology uses the CEDIA technique. A screening test can give a false positive result on occasion and it is strongly recommended that all positive results be confirmed using a confirmatory Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) test. Screening rechecks can be requested by the referrer, without charge, on the original sample.

On Site Collection Devices - Urine + Saliva

In addition to supplying staff for on site sample collection, Healthscope Commercial Pathology can supply Point of Care (POC) devices for on-the-spot drug and alcohol testing. These kits can test for a wide range of drugs of abuse. Healthscope can supply both urine and saliva on site collection devices depending on your company policy.

Test Principle for On Site Devices - Urine + Saliva

The kits are based on the principle of competitive immunochemical reaction between a chemically labelled drug (drug-protein conjugate) and the drug or drug metabolites that may be present in the sample. During the test the sample migrates up the membrane and if the drug is present combines with the antibody-colloidal gold conjugate. When the drug is absent in the sample the coloured antibody colloidal gold conjugate and immobilized drug-protein conjugate binds to form a visible line in the test region. When the drug is present in sufficient concentration it will fill the limited antibody binding sites. This will prevent attachment of the coloured antibody-colloidal gold conjugate to the drug-protein on the test region. Therefore the presence of a line on the test region indicates a negative result for the drug and the absence of a test line indicates a positive result for the drug.

A visible line generated at the control region of the test strip demonstrates that the test has been performed properly.

Urine Drug Kits

The following drug classes are detected

Cannabis (THC)
Amphetamines / (AMP)
Methamphetamines (MET)
Opiates (OPI)
Benzodiazepines (BZO)
Cocaine (COC)

Saliva Drug Kits

The following drug classes are detected

Cannabis (THC)
Amphetamines / (AMP)
Methamphetamines (MET)
Opiates (OPI)
Cocaine (COC)
Phencyclidine (PCP)

Effect of Medications

It is possible that some medications may lead to false positive results in the initial screening test. Staff for whom urine drug testing is requested should be asked to list all prescription and non-prescription medicines and supplements that they may be taking.

Drug & Alcohol Testing