Quest Diagnostics – New Oral Fluid Guidelines for Federal Drug Testing!

Our partners at Quest Diagnostics posted about the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Testing Programs – Oral/Fluid which was published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, HHS, on October 25, 2019. The guidelines take effect on January 1, 2020 and we wanted to be sure to share it with you.

The Quest article states Dr. Barry Sample, Senior Director of Science & Technology, Quest Diagnostics, reviewed the new guidelines and shared some important points for employers to consider:

• The new guidelines only apply to the Federal workforce in testing-designated positions. Oral fluid is not yet authorized for DOT or NRC testing.
• The Federal Custody and Control Form (CCF) will likely be revised to include oral fluid.
• Laboratories must obtain SAMHSA certification for oral fluid testing before conducting federal oral fluid drug testing.
• FDA-clearance is required for all oral fluid collection devices used for federal testing.
• MROs and collectors will need additional training about the guideline revisions.
• Implementation of these guidelines is estimated to take approximately 12 to 18 months.

For more information on the oral fluid guidelines posted by Quest, go here.

For more information, visit Quest’s Employer Solution Blog here.

OPENonline can help you with your drug screening needs with our customizable drug and alcohol screening solutions. Find out more about our services here. And contact us at sales@openonline.com, if you have additional questions.

This is not legal advice. For legal advice, please seek legal counsel.

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