Drug Testing

We began this month by discussing the topic of physician impairment and the call for drug screening standards in healthcare. A comprehensive employee drug screening program is a great tool to mitigate risk and reduce overall costs for your organization. Whether you are reviewing your organization's drug screening policy or starting from scratch, here are five recent articles covering advice for employers, industry reports and survey findings concerning drug testing in the workplace. 

In our featured article last month we addressed the issue of the importance of performing routine criminal background checks for physicians as a condition of licensure and appointment. We discussed how these checks could play a vital role in ensuring patient and workplace safety, and contribute to improved healthcare outcomes.

Just in case you missed it, the November 2012 elections legalized recreational use of marijuana in the states of Colorado and Washington. If you enjoy reading legislative documents, you can find marijuana laws in your state here. Many employers now ask how these new laws will affect their drug-free work policies; and it will be very interesting to watch this unfold as employers try to balance federal and state requirements.

Drug screening has become a vital tool to promote a safe working environment and mitigate risk connected to drug-related issues. Countless studies from both the private sector and SAMHSA (DHHS - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)   have shown that implementing a drug screening program reduces the over-all costs associated with substance abuse including health care costs, absenteeism and lost productivity.