Drug Testing Requirements and CLIA standards: An Overview

Drug Testing and CLIA Waived Tests

There has been an a virtual explosion in the the number of CLIA waived testing companies across the country. With this boom and growth, there are surely a number of drug testing service companies providing quality and expedient results for clients. However just like any other industry that experiences rapid and "overnight" growth, there are going to be a few bad actors that cut corners. Why cut corners? Well in such a competitive field there are going to be drug testing companies and labs that feel the only way they can compete is by taking shortcuts. That attitude and behavior is extremely dangerous for our industry for a number of reasons.

Accurate Drug Screening Results

There are a number of decisions and outcomes that depend on the results of a specific drug test, no matter the scenario that requires a drug screening. Be it a pre-employment drug screen or a screen related to getting an addict or alcoholic higher level of care, results matter. So when unethical companies cut corners by perhaps diluting testing chemicals or compromise quality to lower prices in a highly competitive market, not only is unethical but the consequences are much further reaching than just that simple false positive or false negative. Failing to provide accuracy would be the number one way in which a drug screening company could let down potential clients. We all understand the scope of the challenge and how there can be long-term consequences for simple discrepancies. There are a number of solutions being discussed by industry leaders, drug testing trade groups, and drug detection companies. The following items are just a few of the solutions that have been propose to curb and eliminate the issue of lowered quality and diminished accuracy.

Drug Testing Industry Standards and Requirements

One of the ideas being proposed is requiring proficiency testing for a lab and it's employees. Several times a year an oversight committee or body would mail samples to a lab, the specimen would then be tested, and the results submitted back to the regulatory agency. Since this is a sample that has been doctored to show specific results, not only are you testing the lab's accuracy but also the individual employee who ran the screen. While this is not a popular idea, and requires some significant effort from a number of drug screening industry leaders, the idea is sound overall. Another idea being circulated is standardized training, accreditation, and certification. With standards that all employees and lab workers must adhere to, mistakes would decrease and quality of service would rise. There is significant backlash from some of the fly by night testing facilities against both of the two previously mentioned ideas because of the effort involved. UACUPS understands that quality drug testing service and ensuring accuracy are of the utmost importance. Our involvement in conversations around industry topics is just one of the ways we are staying at the forefront of industry trends, research, and developments. We are committed to ensuing the utmost quality and accurate drug screening nationwide, and will keep you updated on industry news as it develops. We welcome you feedback and would love to hear solutions from you. What do you propose that the drug detection and screening industry could do as a whole to raise service quality and ensure even higher standards of accuracy?