Drug and Alcohol Testing for the Workforce
Eastern Med provides testing services and a variety of testing methods, whether an employer requires all new hires to be tested or suspects employee drug or alcohol use and abuse while on the job. We're your partner in ensuring the safety of your employees and those around them, as well as the reputation and integrity of your business. Our professionally trained and certified staff provides testing at our office suite and is available 24/7.
Drug and Alcohol testing services include:
- DOT (federal) and Non-DOT
- BAT (breath alcohol) here or at the site of the incident
- MRO-certified service/collect and test or collect only
- All collectors are Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA) certified
- Computer-generated random pulls DOT (truly random and the "gold standard" of testing formats)
- MIS reports generated (mandatory)
- Non-positive report turnaround time: 24–48 hrs
- Hair follicle, fingernail, and oral swab testing
- Available on-call collectors for after-hours incidents or reasonable suspicion
Court Ordered Drug and Alcohol Testing
Proving innocence or guilt in a court case that involves suspected drug or alcohol use can hinge on reliable testing. All of Eastern Med's sample collectors are Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA) certified, which means that testing is conducted with professionalism and to the highest industry standards for quality control. Collectors are seasoned professionals who have seen it all, including people trying to pass off animal urine as their own. Yes, it unfortunately happens that people attempt to control the outcome of their testing results. That's why specimen verification is a top priority, so there's no question about the accuracy or integrity of results.
Hair Follicle and Fingernail Testing
Eastern Med is one of only two sites in New York State that conducts hair follicle and fingernail testing. A wealth of information is contained in fingernails and toenails. As they grow, chemicals are incorporated into the keratin fibers, creating a historical record that lasts for months. New studies and data indicate that while fingernail testing has similarities to hair testing, it may even be a better alternative due to easy collection, stability, and a longer detection window.
These tests are useful to the court system because they can be used to detect past use and exposure to drugs and to pinpoint timing and long-term drug use/exposure.
Understanding The Types of Tests Available
Knowing what test to ask for is crucial. Should you collect urine, blood, nails, or hair? Are you trying to detect drug or alcohol use or abuse in the past three days, three weeks, or three months? Each test has a window of detection, and the type of test that you choose matters. If you ask for a 5-panel test but really need a 10 panel that tests for a particular substance, the result will be negative. This doesn't mean the person doesn'thave the substance in their system. It just means the drug panel chosen did not test for it. This could make or break a court case and, in the case of family court and suspected child endangerment, could result in a child remaining in an unsafe situation.
Eastern Med has a growing reputation as a resource for judges and lawyers to better understand how drug and alcohol testing works, the types of testing available, and what each panel tests for, so they are educated and informed when the need arises for testing services.
Eastern Med is your resource for information on and testing services for drugs and alcohol. If you have any questions on how to choose the right test, please call, and we will be happy to assist you.
Below are helpful chart that illustrate the importance of choosing the right test.
Source: USDTL, Catalog Adult & Child Drug Testing Services.
Source: Substance- Clarity in Toxicology, v. 10 i. l