Drug Testing

DATCS will be glad to help you if you need a drug or alcohol test performed. We offer many drug test and alcohol test at our locations or at your location. personal drug test, alcohol test, Court-ordered testing, random employee drug testing, DOT testing, and more.

Drug and Alcohol Testing Compliance Services offers a wide variety of drug testing as listed below:

Personal Drug Testing

Many individuals want to know if they can be tested for their own personal reasons. The answer is yes, you can! In fact, Drug & Alcohol Testing Compliance Services strives to ensure your personal experience is comfortable and confidential.

Parents or legal guardians can request tests for minors, but the parent must be present to sign a consent allowing us to do the test. See ‘Parent Zone’ for more information.

REMEMBER: On personal tests, we do not disclose results to anyone, unless otherwise specified by you on a signed Authorization to Release Results form. You may elect to do the test anonymously.

 Q & A’s

How do you go about having a personal test done?

• Visit one of our convenient D.A.T.C.S. locations: 

• Longview, Texas;
• Tyler, Texas;
• Wichita Falls, Texas; or
• Shreveport, Louisiana.

No appointment is necessary.

• Tell us what type of test you need.
  

• Pay for the test. Personal tests may be paid for with cash or credit card (Visa, MC, or Discover).
  

• Sign a confidential Authorization Release to tell us to whom and how you want your test results sent (mail, email, fax, phone call, or you may pick them up in person). This information is confidential.
  

• Receive your test results. Depending on the type of test you elect to have, it may be between 2-6 business days before your results are back.

    If you have any other questions regarding a personal walk-in test, feel free to contact us or call (888) 201-0242.

Alcohol Testing

DATCS offers a variety of alcohol testing methods for your convenience.

• Breath Alcohol Testing – using alcohol testing machines approved by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
• Saliva Strip Testing – using DOT-approved test strips to screen for alcohol
• ETG (Ethylglucuronide) Testing – often required in child custody agreements before visitation is allowed. ETG requires as laboratory test that can detect the substance up to 80 hours after consumption
• Alcohol tests can be conducted on site at any job or accident location. DATCS collectors are trained in all alcohol testing methods.

 Court-Ordered Testing

Drug testing can be used by the court to determine paternity, settle custody issues, set standards for visitation rights, and other legal matters. Types of tests most ordered by the court are hair, urine, saliva, and DNA. It is important that the correct information be given to a drug testing facility to ensure that the correct test is done.

Judges and attorneys should make sure court orders always contain instructions specifying the type of test and which drugs need to be screened in the test. The following items should be noted:

• The type of test – urine, saliva, hair, nail and/or DNA – should be stated in the court order.
• The court order should name the number and/or kind of drugs to look for in the test.
• All urine tests should be witnessed to prevent tampering or substitution.
• Threshold or cut-off levels should be lowered to detect smaller amounts of drugs.
• If the drug in question is an opiate, a test for expanded opiates should be requested.
• All tests should be sent to a certified laboratory for confirmation.
• All non-negative laboratory tests should be evaluated by a Medical Review Officer to eliminate any prescription drugs.

  Company Drug Testing

DATCS has been helping companies develop drug and alcohol policies for 20 years.  These services are a business expense and are 100% tax deductible, so setting up a drug and alcohol testing program makes sense in today’s world.  Encouraging your employees to remain drug free protects your business, your employees and your community.

There are 5 key steps to making a business or organization an active drug-free workplace:

• A sound, up-to-date comprehensive drug policy
• Pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, return-to-duty, and follow-up drug testing
• In-house employee assistance program or an up-to-date resource referral list
• Supervisor training on indicators of drug and alcohol abuse
• Ongoing employee education

Before you begin to drug test employees, it is critical that your company has a drug/alcohol testing policy. Because state and federal law does not mandate substance testing for most businesses (exceptions being ones that fall under US DOT), many state and federal guidelines are not clear for companies who wish to begin a drug/alcohol testing program. A policy enforces consistency and can prevent litigation regarding drug tests resulting in termination and in other sensitive matters. It also makes employees aware of:

• What type of drug tests they will be taking (i.e., pre-employment, random, post-accident, etc.)
• How their company will deal with employees who test positive.
• Resources they can consult to get help with drug/alcohol problems.

If your company does not have a policy in place and you’re not exactly sure how to develop one yourself, the professionals at DATCS will be happy to assist you. In fact, we offer a model policy that can be customized to your specifications.

 Types of Tests

Pre-Employment Testing
Pre-employment is the most common type of testing program and widely utilized by potential employers.

Random Testing
Random testing is periodic screening in which no prior scheduling or notice has been given to the employee. A randomly selected employee is one that is chosen from a group in such a manner that every member of the group has an equal chance of being selected.

Reasonable Suspicion

Reasonable suspicion testing may be necessary because of an individual’s observed impairment on the job, after a job-related accident, recent changes in behavior, or possession of suspected abusive drugs. This screening is unannounced to the employee.

Return-to-Duty
Employees who fail a drug test may be required to undergo a return-to-duty test depending upon employer policy and applicable regulations, before being allowed to return to the job.

Employees returning from a leave of absence for sickness or injury can be required to submit and successfully pass a drug and/or alcohol test as a condition of reinstatement per the company’s policy.

If the employee falls under the Federal DOT guidelines, following a violation of the rules for controlled substance use or alcohol misuses, the covered employee must be evaluated and undergo testing. Controlled substance testing must be verified as negative results by a Medical Review Officer, and the alcohol test must have results less than 0.02 before returning to a safety-sensitive function.

Follow Up Testing

Follow-up testing is performed on an unannounced basis after the employee has passed a return-to-duty test.

If the employee returning to work falls under the Federal DOT guidelines, they will be required to submit to follow-up testing.

Post-Accident Testing
Post-accident testing is screening of an employee who is involved in an on-the-job accident which may have involved human error and may have caused a fatality, serious injury, or significant property damage.

Companies that do not fall under the DOT guidelines need post-accident testing

• for their employees who are involved in an accident if such testing is specified in the company’s drug and alcohol policy
• to protect an employer in case a workers’ compensation claim is filed

The recommended timeline for post-accident testing is

• Drug test - within 32 hours of the accident
• Alcohol test - within 8 hours of the accident

DATCS has a knowledgeable staff that

• Is  trained and dependable
• Can coordinate nationwide post-accident testing sites
• Has access to a vast database of collection sites
• Is on call 24/7 for all companies that require a drug and alcohol test

Employee Assistance Program

When an employee has a positive drug test, your company policy may require that the employee seek help from a substance abuse professional.  A Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation. Their function is to protect the public interest in safety by professionally evaluating the employee and recommending appropriate education and/or treatment, follow-up tests, and aftercare.

If you need a SAP, the following are great resources:

• www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov
• www.saplist.com
• www.naadac.org

              

Oral Fluids Testing

Oral Fluids Testing

Oral Fluid Drug Testing, or saliva drug testing, is an alternative to collecting urine specimens for drug testing purposes. One of the main advantages of oral fluid testing is that the donor cannot substitute or adulterate the specimen easily. Oral fluid testing is also useful when testing students and employees who cannot provide a urine specimen.

Q & A’s

What is Oral Fluid Drug Testing?

Oral Fluid Testing is performed to detect drugs in oral fluid (saliva) using enzyme-immunoassay screening methodology with confirmation analysis by GC/MS or GC/MS/MS.

Who Collects the specimen?

The donor performs the collection by placing the collection pad between his or her lower cheek and gum. This is done under direct observation by the person in charge of conducting the specimen collection. Oral Fluid Testing provides a gender neutral observed collection that can be performed virtually anywhere.

What drugs are included in a standard Oral Fluid Test?

Amphetamines, Cocaine Metabolite, Opiates (Codeine, Morphine), Marijuana metabolite, and Phencyclidine (PCP).

What is the drug detection window for oral fluid testing?

Depending upon the drug used and the dose, drugs may be detected in oral fluid in as little as 2 hours from the time of use and may remain detectable up to 48 hours after last use.

Can substances such as food, beverages, over the counter medication and mouthwash affect the Oral Fluid Test results?

Oral Fluid immunoassay screens have been tested with commonly ingested substances and found not to affect the final result.

If you think oral fluid drug testing is an option for you and/or your company, please contact us or call (888) 201-0242.

Steroid Testing

Steroids help in increasing muscle mass and physical strength, and are consequently used in sport and bodybuilding to enhance strength or physique. Some of the common steroid user groups are:

• Participants of football, baseball, basketball, hockey, wrestling – sports that benefit from size and strength.
• Participants of cycling, soccer, track and field, swimming, gymnastics, snow skiing – sports that benefit from speed and endurance.
• Bodybuilders
• Any person interested in building and developing their muscles

DATCS utilizes the most sophisticated, sensitive and specific equipment and technology available, (GC/MS – gas chromatography/mass spectrometry), to confirm and quantitate steroids, diuretics and stimulants. This methodology provides highly accurate results.

If you would like further information or have questions, please contact us or call (888) 201-0242.

On Site/On Call Testing

D.A.T.C.S. has highly trained collectors on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, providing you with the most professional and convenient substance abuse testing services in the industry.  These services are available for both pre-arranged and emergency situations.

You may want our collectors to come to you for:

    Baseline Testing - testing an entire staff, crew, or shift
    
    Random Testing - saves company time and employees’ personal time

    Post-accident Testing - when the employee may not be suitabel for transport

    Reasonable Suspicion - to avoid having an employee endanger himself or others by
    driving

So if it’s inconvenient or almost impossible to send your employees to our designated locations for drug or alcohol testing, D.A.T.C.S. puts experienced highly trained collectors at your disposal when you need them.