Drug testing is widely used in many different industries, including policing, manufacturing, and construction. It enables employers and authorities to find out whether drugs are being used in situations where they are forbidden.
Drugs of abuse are those that are illegal or available legally only with a prescription. Many people take medications for different reasons, but when their substance use begins to affect important work or put others at risk, this can cause a problem for companies and society alike.
Companies in Clearwater should take the time to become informed about drug tests before deciding to implement a drug test policy across the workforce. There are some key things that it is useful to know when considering whether to conduct testing for drugs of abuse.
1. Not every drug test will be accurate
While drug tests often carry a very high accuracy rate of around 99%, they are not completely accurate, so there is always a risk that the result will be incorrect. You should bear this in mind when implementing any drug test policy across your company, and you should always give any employee receiving a positive result the benefit of the doubt until it is confirmed. If you receive a positive drug test within your company, send the sample to a laboratory for further testing so that this result can be confirmed.
2. Timelines are important
It’s important to be aware of timelines when carrying out tests in the workplace for drugs of abuse. Some common drugs, such as marijuana, can remain in a person’s system for up to seven days, while other drugs could stay in the system for up to three weeks. Similarly, some drugs, including antidepressants, can take several hours to create a positive drug test result, while others will be identified in the system after just one hour.
3. You will need the correct drug test
Drug tests are different, so some of them will test for different drugs, and others may take longer to show a result. Before deciding which drug tests to buy, determine which drugs you want to test for and what your requirements are for the tests. Once you have this information, it will be easier to identify the best type of drug test for your company to use. If you suspect somebody is using drugs, but the drug test has shown a negative result, you may be using the wrong test. Always read the label carefully when buying new drug tests.
4. Ask about prescriptions
Some drugs of abuse are available on prescription and may be taken legally by patients who have been prescribed them. Therefore, it’s important to clarify that your employees are not in receipt of a prescription for a particular drug that they may be taking. Failing to determine whether drug use is legal or illegal could cause long-term problems for your business and damage relations between the employer and employees.
Finding the right drug tests
Getting the right information for your company can seem challenging at first. You can find out more about drug tests and discover the best option for your business in Clearwater by visiting Peace of Mind Drug and Background Screening.
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