Employer objectives in workplace drug testing range from compliance “tick the box” through to eliminating or reducing drug & alcohol risk. 

Those seeking to tick the box may choose lower cost products/services and carry out minimal testing volume.  They still achieve their goal.

For Employers seeking to maximise the effectiveness of their drug testing program we typically see products/services chosen with greater focus on quality. Price remains a factor yet is balanced with the quality outcome in mind.

Drug testing industry insiders realise detection capability of oral fluid testing kits vary wildly.  That is not “widely” but “wildly” – meaning to a ridiculous or extreme degree!

Electronic drug testing equipment has historically provided maximum drug detection capability. There are only a few in the market and, historically, even these can vary in detection capability by 300%.

As for non-electronic devices some may perform close to the electronic versions. With others you may not realise you are lacking in quality – thus you may never see a single drug detection.  This means you may be overlooking the risk in your workplace.

In choosing drug test kits, always consider the brand. Choose quality manufacturers with a track record in drug testing.  Seek details of performance of test kits in the field where possible.  A product insert with performance statistics included may not always translate to real world results. Target concentrations / cut off levels provided by the manufacturer do not always equate to performance in the real world.

Here are a few tips to consider when choosing an oral fluid drug test product/service:

Tip No.1 – Your existing drug testing product/service provider may not stock the best quality equipment available. Relationships are great yet you must always ensure they do not deny you access to a quality product. Consider changing suppliers if necessary! You may achieve a better outcome for your workplace drug testing.

Tip No. 2 – Drug testing costs largely come down to the volume of testing conducted. To balance budget and outcome it may be better to choose a higher priced / quality drug test product and do slightly less testing rather than use a low to medium quality product.  Far better to use something that works!

Tip No. 3 – Notwithstanding Tip No. 2 – the best performing drug test products are not necessarily the most expensive in all cases. Seek good advice from an industry insider!