10/02/2012 by UKDrugTesting.

Most employers would rather consider a saliva drug testing kit to the more traditional urine collection and drug testing procedures for workplace drug testing, and there is no reason why a saliva drug test should not be used for most employment drug testing.

Pre-employment drug screening is a little different. Employers are looking to screen for a longer period than is obtainable with instant near patient saliva drug tests. Urine drug screening will extend the detection period to 3 to 5 days for most drug groups. This will pick up more recreational drug use than saliva drug testing. If the drug screen has been notified, then the majority of potential employees will avoid recreational drug use in the week before the medical. To effectively screen for recreational drug use in this situation, the notification to attend for medical screening should be minimal. Otherwise you are only screening for hardened regular or dependent drug users, and the range of drug membranes included in the screen, should best reflect this.

We are commonly asked what to include in the employment drug screen, as there is no HSE list or specific guidance on what drugs should be included in the drug test, and what can be ignored. Our advice is to include the range of common recreational drugs which can affect performance, namely Cannabis, Cocaine, Amphetamines (and Methamphetamines) and opiates. We also recommend Benzodiazepines should be part of occupational drug screening, as most sedative tranquilisers affect performance, as can sedatives taken as sleeping pills. These should certainly be included in HSE high risk occupational drug screens examples being machine operatives, line side certification, PSV, HGV etc.

It may be worth contacting your local drugs team and finding out which drug groups are prevalent in your local area. We have noticed that Ketamine has started to become increasingly prevalent over the last 12 months and causes problems in an employment setting, as it highly sedative. Ketamine is in fact a veterinary tranquiliser, which gives you some idea how sedative it is.  An increasing number of drug screens now include Ketamine, and we are being asked for drug testing kits that incorporate Ketamine now on a daily basis, although currently this option is only available in our urine drug testing kits.

SAMHSA have recently moved further in favour of saliva drug screening to become the first line method for federal employee testing in the US. This should see further developments in saliva drug screening with new drug test membrane options for saliva testing becoming available and a standardisation of the saliva drug cut off levels to enable direct brand comparison and greater covergence in testing results and quality.

Click here to find out more about Workplace Drug Testing Kits for Employers available in UK

Posted in Drug testing FAQ, Workplace drug testing kits, drug testing kits for employers, Drug testing in the workplace, Drug testing at work, Drug Testing faq's, Workplace drug testing | 1 Comment »

04/07/2011 by admin.

Business drug and alcohol testing is growing, and now forms an important element of general health screening for job applicants, accross a wide spectrum of industry. The growth in drug use has seen more and more employers addressing the issues of drug misuse, dependency and social recreational use creeping into the workplace and employee productivity and safety. Pre-employment drug screening has seen the greatest growth in recent years, and now extends far beyond the safety critical employment roles.

Employers are perfectly at liberty to request applicants provide a drug screen sample as part of any job application. Prospective employees may decline. There is no current UK legislation preventing an employer from excluding a candidate on the basis that they have refused to provide a sample for drug screening as part of the companies routine pre-employment screening. As long as the drug screening is routine, this does not currently constitute discrimination of any kind. Indeed companies can argue that they hold a duty of care to ensure no employee undertakes duties while under the influence of drugs or alcohol which may make both them and their environment unsafe for themselves and fellow workers. The last argument is much stronger where the employment role includes safety critical duties.

Pre-employment drug testing is therefore one of the most easy and common programmes of drug screening to implement and operate. We are often asked by companies what is the most common package of drugs, or minimum range of drugs which is expected in a drug screening program. The answer is not always straight forward, as some consideration should be given to the target demographic and also local drug availability and usage patterns. As a base guide we would recommend a baseline of 5 or 6 drug groups, to which other local or industry specific additional can be made. FOR UK EMPLOYMENT DRUG TESTING we would recommend the screen cover  Cannabis, Cocaine, Opiates, Methamphetamine & Amphetamine +/- Benzodiazepines For most screening a 5 panel drug test kits is the best option for urine drug testing and if saliva drug testing is preferred then a 6 drug saliva testing kit for Cannabis, Cocaine, opiates, Amphetamine, Methamphetamine and PCP is a great option. A wide range of urine and saliva drug test kits are currently available.

Buyers should ensure that packs are from a reputable specialist supplier, offering full technical support and cross reference data for the kits. All drug screening kits should be properly branded CE marked professional packs with original data sheet and both CE mark, manufacturers data and EU representative details for the CE quality mark (CE mark alone is not good enough) the product you buy should be healthcare standard class1 biotech imported as an IVDD (In Vitro Diagnostic Device) and stored correctly by the distributor. Ensure the supplier has over 10 years experience of drug screening biotechnology and has medically trained staff with clinical experience of drug screening available to advise you as part of the service.

Posted in Employee drug testing, Drug Tests at work, Business drug testing kits, Business drug screening, drug testing work, pre-employment Drug Testing, Workplace drug testing, Drug testing at work, Drug testing in the workplace, Employment Drug Testing | 4 Comments »

24/06/2011 by admin.

New in stock last month is the Oral Cube 11 drug + alcohol saliva drug test

Offer comprehensive rapid drug screening (including alcohol) of human saliva in one drug testing kit.

Ideal 1st line screening tool for drug & alcohol testing in the workplace

Tests saliva quickly & easily for the following drugs :

Alcohol
Amphetamines / Speed (AMP)
Barbiturates (BAR)
Benzodiazepines / Tranquilisers (BZO)
Buprenorphine (BUP)
Cannabis / Marijuana (THC)
Cocaine / Crack (COC)
Methamphetamines (MET)
Methodone (MTD)
Opiates / (Codeine, Morphine) Heroin (OPI)
Oxycotin (OXY)
Phencyclidine (PCP)

Click here for more info on Saliva Drug Testing Kits

Click here for information on saliva drug test detection times

Posted in Saliva alcohol test, Oral cube drug testing, Oral cube, Drug testing in the workplace, Oral Drug Testing, Workplace drug testing, Oral Drug Test, Saliva Drug Test, Saliva Drug Tests | 1 Comment »

20/10/2010 by admin.

More and more companies in the UK are now routinely undertaking regular drug and alcohol testing programs. Leading the way are safety critical employers, where drug screening is an integral element of health and safety proceedure. UK Employment agencies are increasingly being requested to provide drug and alcohol tests as part of a routine pre-employment screen, and as an ongoing certification requirement for contract or agency staff, being deployed in safety critical employment environments.

Drug testing in the workplace need be no more taxing for employers than a routine urine dip health test for kidney disease or diabetes, and is available from under £4.00 per test.

Urine drug screening products offer the most cost effective and best route for effective detection of drug use in the preceeding 72hrs.

Many testing agencies would prefer to test using a saliva drug test kit, until they understand the much shorter period of detection achievable with instant on site saliva drug tests (12-24hrs in most drug group) Of course this can be an advantage where agencies are concerned only with detecting recent or active drugs, currently still in the employee and still likely to be psychoactive and affecting performance.

Urine drug tests will detect the use of drugs in the last 3 to 5 days, so they will detect recreational Cannabis, Ecstacy and Amphetamine use (club drugs) used on a Friday and Saturday, in employee drug tests on Monday or Tuesday.

A full list of product specific drug detection times is available from www.ukdrugtesting.co.uk drug detection times data here

Packs specifically taylored to employers needs for drugs and alcohol testing are available from www.valuebreathalysers.co.uk or  here

Posted in Employee drug testing, drug testing work, Drug testing in the workplace, Drug testing at work | 1 Comment »

08/06/2010 by admin.

E-Z drug test cups have been available for many years and have proved popular with both the drug treatment agencies and also with business users who wish to perform urine drug testing in the workplace.

The integrated urine collection and storage cup with built in drug test panel offers easy sample collection, and spill free storage and handling.

The urine drug test panel gives immediate on-site results to NIDA cut off levels for up to 10 drug groups.

Negative urine samples can be disgarded, while any positive urine samples can be retained, sealed with tamper proof seals (provided in all professional 25 test packs) and sent for laboratory comfirmation.

The E-Z urine drug test cup is available in a range of urine drug test combination from 5 to 10 drug groups depending on the requirments of the end user from www.ukdrugtesting.co.uk

The EZ collection cup system offers an ideal urine drug test system where facilities for sample collection and processing may be limited. The Instalert professional standard urine drug test membrane supplied as standard offers high accuracy and detection rates to CE EU IVDD standards, and is considered one of the best near patient urine drug screening products available.

Posted in Urine drug test, Drug screen, urine drug test kits, urine test drugs, urine drug testing kit, EZ drug test, Integrated drug test, Drug testing in the workplace, Drug testing in construction industry, Drug screening, 10 panel drug test, Drug test cup, Drug testing at work | 1 Comment »

12/04/2010 by admin.

Undertaking drug testing for the first time can be a daunting task, but the basic procedure is very simple.

An initial urine sample is collected and brought to room temperature (usually 20 minutes) The sample is then tested using a standard panel combination drug test. The cut off levels for drug test panels is internationally agreed and traditionally work to SAMHSA and NIDA levels for urine analysis.

Professionally produced and batch certified drug testing urine kits are between 97 and 99% accurate when compared in studies to laboratory drug screening using GC/MS methods. This level of accuracy is considered by all bodies as high enough to be acceptable for all negative onsite drug test results.

In simple terms, if the instant drug test result is all normal, and the sample collection and procedure are all acceptable no further action need be taken.

Confirming all positive results is essential in a workplace situation. No further action should be taken before laboratory GC/MS confirmation of a positive result is obtained.

Where employment drug testing is part of a occupational risk assessment for a high risk occupation, the employee should not be allowed to perform this task pending the confirmation result, but no disciplinary or penalty action must be taken by the employer before absolute confirmation is obtained.

Standard drug test panel combinations for the UK and EU employment drug testing tend to be THC, COC, AMP, MET, MOP

THC = Cannabis 50ng

COC = Cocaine 300ng

AMP= Amphetamine 1000ng

MOP = Opiates 300ng

MET = Methamphetamine 1000ng

Click here for more info on drug testing kits

Posted in Urine drug test, How to do a urine drug test, Drug testing in the workplace, Drug Testing faq's, Drug testing at work, Drug Test FAQ, Workplace drug testing | 1 Comment »

12/02/2010 by admin.

A single drug test kit, but 10 individual results, screening for 10 drug groups on a single urine sample. The Instalert 10 panel drug test card is the ultimate in drug screening, offering professional quality performance and low unit cost.

The 10 panel drug test is available in 2 test proceedural options, as a straight 10 panel dip drug test card for urine and also integrated into the best selling E-Z cup drug test collection, sampling and storage system.

For anyone looking for the widest possible drug screen, this is the one to choose. Cartons of 25 10 panel drug tests are now available from £125.00 and the E-Z 10 panel drug test option, again in cartons of 25 drug tests from £149.00 Both 10 panel drug tests are normally stock items available for next working day delivery.

See her for further information on drug testing & the Instalert 10 panel drug test card

Posted in Integrated drug test, EZ drug test, Drug screen, Drug test cup, 10 panel drug test, Drug testing at work, Drug testing in the workplace, Drug screening, Drug Testing | 1 Comment »

10/02/2010 by admin.

The growth of employment or workplace drug screening continues, despite the slowdown in recruitment of 2009. A larger workforce seeking employment and more applicants per vacancy has given prospective employers greater power to choose and more reason to distinguish between candidates. Pre-employment health screening including a drug test is now more widely used than ever, with employers looking to reduce their healthcare vunerability and costs.

The main growth in drug screening has been amongst employment agencies, many of whom report an increase willingness in clients to request both a drug and alcohol screening element of routine pre-employment testing. Employment agencies are ideally placed to perform these drug tests, as they are seen as independent of the recruiting company and have the experience and facilities to undertake drug screening as part of the routine health care screening program. There size also enables cost effective purchasing of bulk on-site drug testing products direct from manufactuers. The most widely used testing screen for on-site instant drug testing by agencies is the E-Z 6 panel drug test cup (EZ 6 panel drug test available here) which reports urine results for Cannabis, Cocaine, Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Benzodiazepines and Opiates (Heroin) This covers most of the common recreational dependent drug groups of interest to employers, and offers a convenient collection and handling system, with no urine spillage for around £5.00 per complete drug test kit.

Workplace drug testing is forcast to grow in 2010 as the UK employment conditions improve and employers further extend the use of drug screening to improve the quality and productivity of their workforce.

A manager from a medium size logistics company recently advised us, “previously drug tests have only been performed when a problem has surfaced and we suspected individuals, after testing for drugs we realised the motivational benefits of performing low level random drug screening, and how this worked to prevent problems arising. Our guys are not going to risk loosing their jobs, now they know we drug test.”

Posted in pre-employment Drug Testing, Drug screening, Drug testing in the workplace, Drug testing at work, Employment Drug Testing, Workplace drug testing, Drug Testing | 1 Comment »

15/12/2009 by admin.

Drug testing in the UK workplace is becoming increasingly common. Once reserved to safety critical jobs such as line side railway and construction industry tasks, drug testing in the workplace is now almost routine in many industries and pre-employment medical examinations.

The drug testing technologies are now so simple that drug screening can be added to a medical examination where urine kidney, liver and diabetes test are performed with little or no extra work or cost. The drug screening proceedure is a simple urine dip test, with negative or positive indicators for a range of 5 or up to 10 drug groups. The accuracy of instant drug testing is such that these urine dip tests are adequate to exclude all negative results with no further action. Positive instant drug test results must be confirmed with the urine sample being sent for laboratory GC/MS analysis confirmation.

Drug testing in the uk workplace positive rates vary, depending on the demographic being tested. Testers should prepare for 3-8% positive rates depending on the range of the drug screen (the common combination used starts with Cannabis, Cocaine, Amphetamine, Opiates & Methamphetamine) and the demographic.

Urine drug testing remains the bench mark mode of testing as for most workplace drug testing it gives the best overall cost/benefit/detection period ratio.

Agencies requiring the diagnostic drug testing kits should look for professional packaged branded products with full IVDD pro CE certification such as the ACON and InstAlert ranges from Innovacon, available from Access Diagnostic Tests UK Ltd via www.ukdrugtesting.co.uk 

UKDrugTesting also offer a full range of breathalysers, both single use and digital to enable workplace screening for alcohol.

Posted in Drug testing in the workplace, Drug testing at work, Drug Testing | 1 Comment »

14/01/2009 by admin.

Employment and pre-employment drug screening is again in the news, and despite the economic doom and gloom companies are still investing in careful drugs screening to ensure the right employees are taken on.

Most companies embarking on drug and alcohol screening do not have the facility of an in house occupational health or HR department to oversee the program. This makes picking the right tools for the job even more essential.

Managers need to understand the differences between urine drug testing kits and saliva drug test kits, look carefully at the drug groups covered by the drug testing kit and the manufaturers guide & detection times for each drug type. These vary enormously.

Saliva drug testing offers the enormous advantage of easy sample collection, with high confidence levels that you are testing a fresh sample, from the person you intend to screen. Urine collection is obviously harder to oversee.

A range of saliva drug tests are available in the UK. Ensure the drug testing product carries a professional CE mark and also lists the European representative for the registration mark. Follow the manufacturers instructions for use and also refer to the accuracy studies which should be listed in the data sheet provided with all professional drug test drug testing packs. Products sold as home or self tests, or just not listed as professional, may be from the same manufacturer but do not have to meet the same regulatory and EU compliance tests. Check with the supplier if these drug test products are as good before purchasing.

Our suggested first line saliva drug test products for business are:

Oraline IV saliva drug test

Instant View saliva drug test

InstAlert Twist saliva drug test

Click here for more information on Saliva Drug Testing Kits

Posted in Drug screen, Drug screening, Drug Test, drug testing work, First Sign Oral drug test, Drug Tests at work, Drug testing in the workplace, Oral Drug Testing, Oraline, Saliva Drug Tests, Employment Drug Testing, Drug testing at work, Saliva Drug Test, Oral Drug Test, Drug Testing | 1 Comment »