Testing for alcohol when screening employees has some characteristics that make it unique, as compared to other drugs. Let’s take a look at those differences.

1) Testing Methods- While urine testing is usually a great method to find illegal drugs in the system, it is not necessarily the best system for alcohol testing. Why? The urine test will show the amount of drugs or alcohol in the body since the last void. Not the actual current amount. If you are testing for illegal drugs, this is not an issue. There shouldn’t be any in the system at all! But if you are … Continue Reading

There are two things I can think of that would help you in preventing dilute specimen drug screen results:

1) Give the applicant instructions. Before you send them off to the lab, provide them with specific written instructions, such as: Please refrain from drinking large quantities of liquid, including water before your test. You could even warn them that a dilute result may be considered a fail. 

At Occuscreen we make a form for our clients that request it that includes the instructions, directions to the collection site, what they should take with them, etc. This can be helpful in preventing all … Continue Reading

There are 3 common ways to test for drugs used in employment screening, all with their own benefits and drawbacks.

1) Urine Drug Screening: Probably the most common, urine is a simple, effective and inexpensive way to test for the use of legal and illegal drugs. The applicant is generally sent to a clinic or lab collection site to leave the specimen, and results are generally available the next day. Positive results go through confirmation and take an additional day or two. The detection window is generally about 24-72 hours, depending on the drug. Marijuana can sometimes last much longer.

2) Oral … Continue Reading