Employee Drug Testing

Policy:

A.        Drug testing.

1.         LLUMC reserves the right to require all job applicants to submit to an examination and/or test to determine if an applicant is using drugs. 

2.         LLUMC reserves the right to require current employees to submit to an examination and/or test for the purpose of determining if an employee is using drugs in the following circumstances:

2.1       Annual health assessment – Employee Health Services would consult with Occupational Medicine Center (OMC) if a concern is identified.

2.2       For reasonable suspicion when a supervisor suspects employee drug use in violation of LLUMC policy based upon, but not limited to:

a.         Observation of drug use

b.         Apparent drug intoxication/impairment

c.         Reports from reliable and credible sources regarding drug use while at work

d.         Behavior which causes suspicion of drug use

e.         Wasted/discarded drugs

f.          Inventory discrepancy with Automatic Dispensing Cabinet (ADC)

g.        Discrepancies in documentation which suggests drug use/diversion.

3.         Drug tests shall be conducted by drug screen test to rule out the presence of drugs. Nonnegative results will be sent to an accredited laboratory for further testing/confirmation of results.

NOTE: Urine drug tests will screen for the presence of the following drugs:

·                              Amphetamines

·                              Barbiturates

·                              Benzodiazepines

·                              Cannabinoids (marijuana)

·                              Cocaine/ metabolites

·                              Opiates

·                              Phencyclidine

·                              Methadone

·                              Propoxyphene

·                              Methamphetamine

·                              Methylenedioxymethamphetamine/MDMA

·                              Oxycodone

·            Breathalyzer or saliva screening will be used in OMC to detect alcohol

4.         OMC and Emergency Department (ED) staff shall be trained and inserviced, as indicated, in the proper collection and handling of specimens.  For all Federally Mandated Drug Testing, OMC/ED collectors must receive qualification training and be certified per Department of Transportation regulations.

5.         Picture identification (e.g., driver's license) must be presented for verification of identification of employee to the staff member performing collection.

6.         A strict collection procedure and chain of custody shall be followed by OMC/ED staff, lab courier, and laboratory to include:

6.1       Samples collected and tested with due regard to the privacy of the individual being tested and to prevent substitution or interference with sample

6.2       Specimen collection well documented, including labeling of specimens with individuals identified by designated code

6.3       Specimen collection, storage, and transportation to the laboratory performed so as to reasonably preclude the probability of sample contamination or adulteration.

7.         Confirmation testing by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), or other comparably reliable analytical method, shall be performed by the laboratory on all positive tests before any results are reported.

8.         LLUMC reserves the right to draw blood for testing as an alternative to urine screening in circumstances where urine is unobtainable or insufficient in quantity.

B.        Drug test results.

1.         All results of drug tests shall be communicated directly from the designated laboratory to the OMC designated Medical Review Officer (MRO).

2.         All federally-mandated drug tests (e.g., DOT regulated tests for drivers) shall be reviewed by the OMC designated MRO and then communicated by the MRO to the Director - Employee Relations.  

3.         Applicants testing positive shall receive notification of test results from the OMC MRO, and the MRO will document the notification process.  The MRO shall also notify the Executive Director of HRM or designee.

4.         For current employees testing positive or negative, the OMC MRO shall notify the Executive Director of HRM or designee, who will notify the employee in writing of test results and LLUMC actions.

5.         Employees or applicants reporting use of prescribed medications as a cause of a positive result shall be required to provide written documentation/evidence of authority to use such medications from the physician prescribing the medications.

6.         An employee or applicant may request a retest of their banked specimen at their own expense/cost.  Specimens with positive test results shall be kept at laboratory for 12 months for the purpose of retesting.

7.         The results of positive drug tests will remain on file at the OMC for five (5) years.  These results will then be transferred to the LLUMC HRM Department where they will be placed in the HRM administrative file for an indefinite period.

C.        LLUMC actions.

1.         Receipt of a confirmed positive drug test result shall constitute a violation of Policy Drug-Free Worksite (I-58)shall be the basis for disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. In addition to such disciplinary action, in appropriate cases the employee may be referred to rehabilitation.   Possible outcomes of a violation include, but are not limited to:

1.1       Refusal to hire an applicant based on failure to meet employment conditions.

1.2       Requirement that employee enroll in LLUMC approved rehabilitation, treatment, and counseling program monitored through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as a condition of program completion and continued employment.

1.3       Other disciplinary action as discussed in Policy I-58, “Drug-Free Worksite.”

2.         Applicants to LLUMC who have failed to meet employment conditions based on a positive drug or alcohol test may not reapply for a position at LLUMC unless they can show proof of having successfully completed a rehabilitation program and have been abstinent from drugs and alcohol for a period of twelve months.