August 29, 2012
According to the American Council for Drug Education (ACDE), more than 70% of substance abusers hold jobs, and Americans use 60% of the world’s production of illegal drugs. That means there are many opportunities for employees and potential employees to engage in illicit use – perhaps affecting your workplace and your company’s bottom line.
Substance abusers increase the risk of accidents, lower productivity, raise insurance costs, and reduce profits. The ACDE cites statistics that they are 10 times more likely to miss work, and more likely to be tardy. Substance abusers are also 3.6 times more likely to be involved in on-the-job accidents, five times more likely to injure themselves or another worker in an accident, and five times more likely to file a worker’s compensation claim.
8 Reasons to Test
Companies that use drug screening as part of their hiring and human resources programs benefit from:
- Increased productivity
- Reduced turnover
- Reduced tardiness
- Reduced absenteeism
- Safer work environment
- Saving valuable time during the hiring process
- Hiring only drug free employees
- Reduced health insurance and workers comp costs
Drug testing is relatively inexpensive and can save a company money and reduce liability in the long run. For a list of drug tests that Hire Image offers, and more information visit our Services page.
While these methods are all fairly convenient and cost-effective, a Medical Review Officer (MRO) should also be used to verify the validity of the test results. These are licensed physicians responsible for receiving and reviewing laboratory results and evaluating medical explanations for certain drug test results to ensure a scientifically valid result. This duty is fulfilled through telephone or in-person interview with the specimen donor and gives the donor an opportunity – through their doctor or pharmacist – to provide evidence of legally-prescribed drug use that may have caused a non-negative result. The MRO helps protect both the rights of the applicant being tested and the employer requiring the testing.
When the MRO can determine that a legitimate medical explanation exists, the MRO may report the final result to the donor’s employer as “negative.” While a small percentage of companies will not pay the extra expense associated with MRO services, such services do greatly enhance the validity and reliability of the overall drug-testing process. They also help ensure fairness to the donor and offer more protection to the employer in any case of later litigation due to a “positive” drug test where the employee has been suspended or fired.
Hire Image’s MRO reviews and signs off on every drug screen conducted for our clients. As soon as the doctor or provider has released the results, our clients are emailed directly and a copy goes to Hire Image.
