Substance Abuse Testing

Healthcare providers play a critical role in today’s society – providing care for hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. As an industry, they have seen firsthand the devastating impact of drug use and abuse today. But with higher than average rates of use and addiction in their own employer population, how are employers in healthcare able to manage their own workforce? 

The legalization of marijuana and its use in the workplace continues to be a hot topic for employers. As of February 1, 2018, Maine’s recreational marijuana law prohibits employers from taking adverse employment actions for off-premises marijuana use.

The healthcare industry is one of the most complex and highly regulated, which means employers have a greater responsibility to ensure a safe workplace environment not just for their own staff, but also for patients. The past decade has seen advancements in technology and best practices for the industry, with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) placing greater emphasis on quality of care and patient safety. Industry regulators have provided updated guidance and newer technologies have allowed leading organizations and systems to improve the efficiency of their screening efforts.

A workplace drug testing program can help employers promote a safe workplace environment. Studies have consistently shown that workplace drug testing can deter drug use among employees. A 2007 study published in Health Services Research by Christopher Carpenter found that workplace drug testing can reduce marijuana use by as much as 30 to 40 percent. For healthcare organizations, therefore, instating an effective drug testing program can safeguard patients and impact quality of care.

We recently published an article discussing the complexities of today’s ever-changing marijuana laws, and the impact it’s had on employers and their drug testing policies. The inconsistencies between state and federal marijuana laws have made it increasingly challenging for employers to understand what constitutes as “legal activity” in their state’s Lawful Activity Statute.

In 2014, we hosted a webinar with Bill Current, Director of the Annual Survey of Drug Testing Industry Trends, which discussed key considerations for establishing a random drug testing program. In case you missed it, you can view the webinar recording here. Currently, there are over 20 states that have legalized medical marijuana and voters in Colorado and Washington State have legalized recreational pot.

The ongoing debate on legalizing marijuana and its effect on the workplace has brought major concerns for employers. At the federal level, marijuana remains classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substance Act—which is considered to have a high potential for dependency and not accepted for medical use, making the distribution of marijuana a federal offense in all 50 states.

2014 was phenomenal year for the PreCheck Blog. Not only did we double the amount of articles featuring healthcare experts and best practices, but the PreCheck Blog also won multiple prestigious awards, including being recognized as “Best Blog Website” by the Web Marketing Association. As we look forward to another great year of best practices for healthcare compliance, HR, and medical staff services teams, here’s a look back at the top ten most-read PreCheck Blog posts from 2014.

Drug and substance abuse is a rising issue for healthcare employers. Due to the nature of the job, many healthcare workers, particularly physicians and nurses, are predisposed to develop prescription drug abuse because of their access to controlled substances. Alcohol misuse, however, may also put staff and patients at increased risk, which may lead to serious adverse health and safety consequences.

To commemorate National Medical Staff Services Awareness Week, November 2-8, 2014, I sat down with PreCheck’s Director of Credentialing Programs, Dionne Austin to discuss the latest trends in medical staff services and her advice for medical services professionals (MSPs) in 2015 and beyond.