Employee drug testing is extremely important on many counts. It is imperative to choose a testing procedure that is accurate, private, cost effective, and easy to administer. If any of these characteristics is lacking, it could impair the ability of a company to maintain an effective program to provide a drug test for employee screening.

As with any other program implemented by a company, drug testing must be done in such a way that the privacy of each employee is observed. This is accomplished by allowing for a proper facility in which to perform the drug test. For example, a urine sample may be obtained in a room with bathroom facilities that have been altered to accommodate the testing process. For example, the room may not contain a sink that could be used to dilute the urine sample in an attempt to alter the results. While other hand washing alternatives, such as hand wipes, must be provided; this would eliminate a source of error while maintaining hygiene and privacy for the employee being tested. The toilet water could be added a stain to verify whether it was being used for dilution. If these options are not available to provide privacy and sample integrity, a drug test kit with adulterant testing may be an option. For example, a 4-Panel (COC/MAMP/THC/OPI) Integrated Test Cup with Adulteration is an FDA approved kit that tests for cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and opiates. It also contains a test for adulteration so that attempts to mask drug use will be uncovered.

It can be purchased at price between $6.85 and $8.15. The strip tests for pH, specific gravity, and oxidants in the urine specimen.

Cost effectiveness is essential for survival of any program opened by an organization or company. With a 10-panel drug screen, you can ensure that your drug testing employee coverage is thorough. However, if you need to test for the most common drugs at a reasonable price, you may want to use something like the Integrated 5-Panel (COC/ AMP /map/ THC/ OPI) E-Z Test Cup, which can be purchased for as low as $5.95 each. Although it tests for fewer drugs, it continues to test accurately for cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, marijuana, and opiates. It is still easy to use with an E-Z test cup that keeps the person giving the test from handling the urine sample.

Accuracy is important, so ensure that you choose an employee drug test that is FDA approved and follows guidelines important for your purposes, such as following SAMHSA guidelines for cut off limits. It is important to choose your test to fit all of the needs for your company’s purposes. Remember that this is a program that must work practically in the long run. Therefore, you need to choose a test kit that fits your needs for accuracy, cost effectiveness, privacy, and ease of administration.