Drug and Alcohol Testing

Drug and Alcohol Screening Addendum

We are all aware of the importance of what alcohol and drug testing has upon road safety. We know that both alcohol and drugs impair our driving performance. The same also applies to our performance in the workplace. This is why it is important that companies should have a policy regarding drug and alcohol use in the workplace and to enforce that policy, testing programmes. These testing programmes need to comply with the relevant Australian Standards but the interpretation of these results is even more complex. For instance, did you know that poppy seeds can show up on drug testing as both codeine and morphine? The Health Advantage is aware of cases where an employer acting on a finding of morphine in the urine from poppy seeds has exited the worker only to find themselves the loser in an unfair dismissal claim. It is important therefore that the employer has someone who can advise them on the interpretation of the drug test results.

All drug and alcohol screening is undertaken by testers who have received the relevant qualifications under the current Australian Standards AS/NZS4308 Urine and AS/NZS4760 oral fluid. The Health Advantage provides a seamless service with onsite testing and chain of custody referral where required to an approved pathology provider for confirmation testing of the onsite result. Reports are given to the employer by Doctors who are qualified Medical Review Officers and members of The Australian Medical Review Officer Association (AMROA). It is important in the field of drug and alcohol testing that the employer has the advantage of experienced Medical Review Officers so that an accurate determination of the drug test result can be made. Both urine and salivary drug testing are not simple matters when it comes to both the technical and legal aspects of testing and a Medical Review Officer provides the employer with accurate interpretations of the drug test result.