Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing - Current Issues on Medical Marijuana, K2, Spice and Hair Testing

Why Should You Attend:

Since development of inexpensive, high quality drug testing technology in the 1980s, workplace drug and alcohol testing has grown explosively. Federal regulations govern over ten million workers in “safety-sensitive jobs.” Private employers test more than thirty million additional workers, often with expanded drug and alcohol testing panels. This course will help employers determine whether to conduct drug testing and, if so, how to follow state-of-the-art practices for quality, effectiveness and legal compliance.

This highly-interactive overview will address both federally-regulated drug testing (often viewed as the “gold standard”) and more diverse non-federally regulated drug testing programs. It will discuss the prevalence of substance abuse and why drug testing has been so well accepted. The course will address responsibilities and requirements of those who review positive drug tests to determine whether there is an acceptable medical explanation (e.g., prescription drugs). This includes:

• Employers
• Specimen collectors
• Laboratories
• Medical review officers

Efforts to “beat the tests” will be examined in light of improved specimen validity testing. The session will close with a discussion on current issues and controversies (including medical marijuana), future trends and where the field is heading.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain purposes, rationale and benefits of workplace drug testing
• Implement different kinds of drug testing
• Describe key steps in drug and alcohol testing process
• Comply with federal and state regulations and standards
• Institute safeguards to prevent “beating the tests”
• Secure qualified vendors for collection, laboratory testing and medical review
• Optimize employee assistance and return to duty
• Address current issues, such as medical marijuana, K2, spice, oral fluid and hair testing

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• Substance abuse in the workplace
• Regulated and non-regulated drug testing
• Classes of drugs tested and different kinds of drug tests
• Federal (DHHS and DOT) expanding drug testing requirements
• Specimen collection (privacy and direct observation)
• Custody and control forms and chain of custody
• Laboratory analysis for drugs and specimen validity
• Medical review of drug testing results (MRO)
• Reporting verified drug test results
• Employer responsibilities
• Issues and controversies, including “beating the tests,” workplace fitness for duty, medical marijuana, K2, spice and hair testing

Who Will Benefit:

• Business Owners
• HR Personnel
• Safety Personnel
• Facility Managers
• Attorneys
• Risk Managers/Executives
• Nurses
• Physicians

Instructor Profile:

Kent W. Peterson, MD, FACOEM, is a national expert in workplace drug testing, having taught more than 16,000 physicians to serve as Medical Review Officers (MROs). A former president of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, he consults with dozens of Fortune 500 companies and healthcare providers on a wide range of occupational health and safety matters.

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