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FAQ's Drug Testing

Drug Testing
As an employer we want to start drug testing in our workplace,.... do you have a checklist for this?
 
  •  Ensure you have a drug and alcohol testing clause in your  employment contract.  
  • Ensure you have a well written drug and alcohol policy to determine procedures (we can refer you to policy  writer  to work with you if required)
  • Before  undertaking  workplace screening you (or someone in H&S) will need to obtain  the two NZQA  Unit Standards as required  under AS/NZ 4308:2008  Procedures for Specimen Collection and the Detection and Quantitation of Drugs of Abuse in Urine
•    Unit Standard 25458 Perform urine specimen  
      collection in the workplace for drug testing and  
•    Unit Standard 25511 Perform urine drug screening
      in the workplace. (we can enroll your staff
      members in these courses as required- full day)
Once these  Unit Standards are acquired you are then able to commence drug testing.

 
Should we be screening for K2 the synthetic cannabinoids as well?

Under the H&S Act you are obligated to provide a safe working environment. Recent drug screening figures indicate that K2 while now prohibited is still commonly used in the workforce. If any of your staff use synthetic cannabis you should be aware of it, as they pose a threat to  your screening regime and the safety of their workmates.
We stock single panel K2 screens that are easy to add to any  drug testing  program as and when required -this reinforcing the message of a zero tolerance to any drugs in the workplace.
tablets big-794-367THC LeafKronic-944-974-95
 
How long do drugs remain in the body ?

The are many over the counter (chemist shop) drugs which if taken in excess of the recommended doses, can alter or affect the outcome of a drug screen.  It is important that donors are taken through a comprehensive questionnaire prior to screening with regard to any medications they may be taking whether prescribed by a doctor or not, and that they declare these openly. 
 
Drugs and Metabolites
Urine Detection Period
Alcohol, beer wine & spirits
Amphetamines/Methamphetamine
Barbiturates
Benzodiazepines
Cocaine & Metabolites
Codeine, Morphine
Opiates
Marijuana          (THC)**
Synthetic Cannabinoids**
PCP (Phencyclidine)
Tricyclic Antidepressants		 6-12 hours
2-4 days
3-4 days
3-6 days
2-3 days
2-3 days
2-3 days
10-30 days AVERAGE 
3-8 days
5-7 days
 

** Marijuana.THC remains in the system the longest of all drugs as it breaks down and deposits itself in the fatty tissue. In some cases if the user is deemed "chronic" (smoked regularly for years) then marijuana can be present in the system for up to three months. When a urine is tested AS/NZ 4308:2008 guidelines determine what  cut-off levels must be exceeded before a sample can be reported as non-negative. For marijuana the screen must exceed 50ng/ml of total cannabinoids before that specimen will be sent forward for a more specific confirmation process (lab/Gc-MS).  The lab confirmation singles out one primary metabolite associated with Marijuana (Delta-9-THC carboxcyclic acid) and the lab confirmation must find the sample to exceed 15ng/ml of this specific metabolite before the specimen can be reported as non-negative.

A report of negative does not mean absolute zero, it means the sample (marijuana) was under the cut-off of 50ng/ml for immunoassay screening  or under 15ng/ml for GC/MS required laboratory confirmation.