“DOT oral fluid drug testing is on everyone’s mind. Non-DOT oral fluid testing is gaining popularity and momentum. This article will update you on DOT oral fluid drug testing and multiple options currently available in the market for Non-DOT oral fluid testing.”
National Drug Screening, Inc (NDS) is excited to sponsor the Inside Drug Screening column in The Background Buzz for 2024. It is our intent to educate the background screening industry on important news, information and trends about drug screening. Our focus will be on workplace drug testing and each month we will feature a specific drug testing topic followed by any recent news, information and trends. These back to the basics drug testing topics will help your teams better understand drug testing and to help grow your drug testing revenue.
DOT oral fluid drug testing is on everyone’s mind. Non-DOT oral fluid testing is gaining popularity and momentum. This article will update you on DOT oral fluid drug testing and multiple options currently available in the market for Non-DOT oral fluid testing. The use of oral fluid drug testing is becoming more popular because of the ability for this testing to prevent cheating and detect recent use of drugs; including same day detection of drug use.
DOT Oral Fluid Drug Testing
DOT oral fluid drug testing is approved but not yet operational. Before becoming operational two laboratories must become Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) certified to perform DOT oral fluid drug testing. No laboratories have received this certification, but several major labs have applied for and pending certification. It is anticipated that at least two labs will go live in first quarter of 2025.
An oral fluid collection device must be also approved. This will be a device that allows a split collection of oral fluid. We believe that the first device to be utilized for DOT oral fluid collections will be the Quantisal™ II oral fluid collection device which is the first commercial device for simultaneous collection of split specimens. Quantisal is manufactured by Immunalysis Corporation an Abbott Laboratories company. As laboratories validate this device for use for DOT oral fluid testing, this device will become commercially available which will likely happen before the end of this current year – 2024.
A big challenge to get DOT oral fluid testing moving will be for drug test collectors to get qualified under DOT regulations 49 CFR Part 40 for collection of DOT oral fluid specimens. This qualification will also require completion of five mock collections. These mock collections cannot occur until the collection device becomes commercially available. Visit https://dotoralfluidcollectortraining.com/ for more information on DOT oral fluid collector training.
DOT oral fluid drug testing will be lab based, it will not be instant testing.
Non-DOT Oral Fluid Drug Testing
Non-DOT oral fluid drug testing has been around since the 2000’s and now becoming much more popular. This test is popular due to less opportunity to cheat on the test, an easy collection process and detection of recent drug use. The cost of oral fluid drug testing will be slightly higher than of urine tests due to the cost of the collection device. Pricing however can be lower than urine testing if the employer conducts the specimen collection themselves.
For marijuana testing oral fluid is particularly beneficial in detecting recent use and detecting parent drug as opposed to the THC metabolize. This becomes important in states with legal recreational marijuana and the state laws favor the employee and that what they do when not working is ok (example California and Washington).
There are also several options for the type of oral fluid testing to be utilized. We will discuss below lab based oral fluid drug testing, instant oral fluid drug testing and proctored oral fluid drug testing.
Lab Based Oral Fluid Drug Testing is an oral fluid specimen collected and sent out directly to a Laboratory for initial screening and confirmation testing when necessary. Results from the laboratory go to the Medical Review Officer (MRO) for review and reporting. Often employers collect in house which is convenient and cost effective.
Instant Oral Fluid Drug Testing involves collecting an oral fluid specimen and performing an instant test which will provide a negative or non-negative result in about five minutes. If the result is negative the testing is complete. This allows employers to get applicants to work quickly and get current employees back to work quickly. If the result of the instant oral fluid drug test is non-negative, anything but negative; the specimen should be sealed up and send to the laboratory with a custody and control form for confirmation testing. Results from the laboratory go to the Medical Review Officer (MRO) for review and reporting. Often employers collect in house which is convenient and cost effective.
Proctored Oral Fluid Drug Testing is new in the market and provides enhanced privacy and convenience by removing the necessity for individuals to travel to an external testing location, thereby facilitating testing in the workplace or at home. Additionally, this method guarantees the integrity and precision of the testing process, as it is overseen by a qualified professional.
An instant oral fluid drug testing device is sent to the home or office of the donor for testing. This is a self-collect procedure captured on live vide with a rained test proctor who guides the donor through the oral fluid specimen collection and testing process. With a negative result the testing is complete, and results are reported through an online portal. If the test result is non-negative, the proctor assists the donor to seal up the specimen and ship it to the laboratory for confirmation testing and MRO review and reporting. Learn more about proctored drug screening with the eMed solution.
Whichever type of oral fluid drug testing solution is utilized, the objectives of detection of recent use of drug and less cheating on the drug test are met. What is always needed is the collection device for the lab based oral fluid or the instant oral fluid collection device. This makes coordination of where the testing will take place very important. Employers performing in house collections need to make certain the individuals administering the testing are well trained. This will help avoid any liability in this testing process.
About the Author
Joe Reilly entered the world of drug testing in 1993 and over the last 25+ years has become a leading national expert on workplace drug testing, drug free workplace programs and specimen collections for drug tests. Joe is the President of a nationwide drug testing industry consulting firm – Joe Reilly & Associates. He is also President of National Drug Screening and is the Senior Director of Compliance for USA Mobile Drug Testing Inc.
Joe served for twelve years on the board of directors of DATIA the Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association (now NDASA) and for four of those years as the Chairman of the Board.
Brief Bio
