Benefits of Conducting Drug Testing at Workplace Using Multi Panel Kits

Drug abuse among employees is a major concern for every employer today. With more than 65 percent of current illicit drug abusers being employed (NSDUH 2009), it is very important for every employer to identify and eliminate all the drug abusing job applicants and employees to create and maintain a safe and drug free workplace environment.

One of the common methods that employers use to detect drug abusing prospective employees or current employees is 'drug testing at workplace'. Introduction of employee drug testing at workplace reduces the impact of drug abuse in the workplace which includes tardiness, absenteeism, turnover, attitude problems, theft, decreased productivity, crime and violence. Apart from identifying the drug abusers, drug testing deters employees from engaging in drug abuse.

Employers perform drug testing on employees or prospective employees in specific types of situations such as:

• Pre-employment drug tests - Conducted on job applicants to make sure that drug abusers do not join the organization
• Post-accident drug tests - Conducted on employees involved in serious accidents or incidents on the job to determine if substance abuse was a contributing factor
• Random drug tests - Conducted on employees on a random basis to deter drug abuse among employees; one or two employees are picked up randomly to take tests
• Reasonable suspicion tests - Conducted on employees after observing patterns of possible drug use, symptoms of being under the influence of illicit drugs
• Treatment follow-up drug tests - Conducted on employees who have returned to work after participating in drug rehabilitation program to ensure they are abstaining from substance abuse

Today many testing kits are available in the market that can accurately detect drug abusers using samples like urine, saliva, blood, hair etc. These test kits can test for a single or multiple drugs at a shot. Many employers today use multi panel kits as they can detect number of drugs using a single sample. The multi panel D.T. proves to be beneficial because:

Cost effective
An employer can save a considerable amount of money using multi panel DTKs as they can detect traces of different drugs at a shot. Since presence of many drugs can be tested through one kit, there is no need to conduct separate test for each and every drug. Depending on their needs, employers can choose testing kits from different combinations of drugs. Unlike the traditional, expensive laboratory tests, multi panel kits cost around $2 to $10 only. Some companies even offer high discounts for bulk purchases.

Simple and easy to use
Generally, multi panel DT kits are available in the form of test cards and test cups. They are designed for easy handling. No expertise is needed to use these test kits. Even a first time user can perform the tests without taking any help. There is no need to use any additional instruments to conduct the test using these kits.

Check for multiple drugs
The main objective of multi panel D T kits is to detect traces of several drugs in a single sample at a shot. These test cups or test cards can detect commonly abused drugs like Cocaine, Amphetamine, Methamphemine, Marijuana (THC), Methadone, Opiates, Phencyclidine, Barbiturate, Benzodiazepine, Propoxyphene, Oxycodone, and Tricyclics in urine and saliva samples.

5 & 10 panel drug testing kits - most helpful at workplace
A typical 5 panel drug testing kit screens a combination of 5 commonly abused drugs such as Cocaine, Amphetamine, Marijuana (THC), Methamphetamine, Opiates, Phencyclidine and Benzodiazepine. A 10 panel DTK tests for a combination of Cocaine, Amphetamine, Methamphemine, Marijuana(THC), Methadone, Opiates, Phencyclidine, Barbiturate, Tricyclics and Benzodiazepine.

Multi panel DTKs are easily available and most helpful at workplaces. Testing using multi panel test kits can be performed easily both at office or on-site locations. They are easy to use, provide accurate and reliable results within minutes.