More and more job applicants are now finding that drug screening is part of the applicant screening process. Most large corporate organizations as well as smaller businesses are making authorization for drug testing part of the standardized application form.

More employers are beginning to include drug testing as part of the employment verification process because recent studies show employees with a substance abuse problem tend to take off more sick days and also work less.

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that drug use in the workplace costs employers $75 billion to $100 billion annually in lost time, accidents, health care and workers' compensation costs. Sixty-five percent of all accidents on the job are related to drug or alcohol. It is for these reasons that most employers are insisting on drug screening these days.

For the drug screening, most employers utilize a standard five-panel test of "street drugs," consisting of marijuana (THC), cocaine, PCP, opiates (such as codeine and morphine) and amphetamines (including methamphetamine). Some employers use a 10-panel test, which includes prescription drugs that are legal to possess and use. Some also test for alcohol abuse.

Most employers who require drug screening will require an applicant to give the urine sample within a specific period of time, so that a drug user does not wait until the drugs leave the system.

Employers using the services of an employment screening company for the drug testing most often request MRO services. A MRO is a qualified medical practitioner who will oversee the results of the tests. Drug screening results approved by an MRO are considered more accurate.

Testing labs have extensive procedures to reconfirm a positive test before reporting it to an employer. Most drug testing programs use MRO Services to review all the results of drug screening. In the case of a positive result, the officer will normally contact the applicant to determine if there is a medical explanation.

If a positive test is confirmed during a drug screening, applicants have the right to ask for a retest at a facility of their choice. Urine samples for all positive tests are retained for that purpose.

Employers who insist on drug screening as part of the hiring process should be aware of the regulations governing drug testing as well as the information that can be used from such a test.

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