The folks at USAMDT have met all our needs while exceeding our expectations with superior customer service.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Sincerely, Bill Green Human Resources Manager 330-764-4270

Wolff Bros. Supply, Inc. Reference Letter

Peoples Services, Inc has switched its drug testing to USA Mobile Drug Testing.  USA Mobile Drug testing has been a great company to work with and has solved all of our DOT and drug free workplace problems.  Since USA Mobile has take over our nationwide testing, it has become problem free.  Their procedures and recordkeeping is outstanding. 

Thanks to Jeff Gorman-President and Steven Gorman-Sales Manager,

Great Job USA Mobile!!!!
James Wickiser, Human Resource Manager, Peoples Services, Inc.

Peoples Services, Inc Testimonial

Along with Mr. Strom, USA Mobile Drug Testing Franchisees from upstate New York and from Houston, Texas attended the conference. David and Dana Gonzalez own the USA Mobile Drug Testing of South East Houston Franchise and Brian Parker is Vice President and Co-Owner of the USA Mobile Drug Testing of Upstate New York Franchise; David, Dana and Brian attended the trade show, networking events, training sessions and workshop sessions to continue their education as expert compliance consultants for the drug testing industry.

Doctor Robert DuPont President of the Institute for Behavior Health was the keynote speaker for the conference; he discussed the important role of drug testing in drug policy today and for future uses and development needs.  Dr. DuPont stated “Make no mistake about it, the future of drug policy, in the US and around the world, is in real demand reduction. … Drug testing is the foundation for the nation’s demand reduction efforts. Drug testing objectively identifies recent drug use — that identification is the heart of prevention, intervention and treatment.”  DuPont closed his speech by saluting the audience calling them the leaders of the drug testing industry, and thanking them for their profoundly important contributions to the nation’s public health and public safety.

For the full text of Dr. DuPonts speech Click Here

The conference also installed some new members of the DATIA Board of Directors and outgoing Chairman David Martin welcomed new Chairman Neil Fortner.  Phil Dubois from DrugScan Labs won the election for Chairman Elect with his term to start in May of 2014.  Mr. Dubois has worked in the drug and alcohol testing industry since 1992.

Patrice Kelly, DOT Office of Drug & Alcohol Policy & Compliance (ODAPC) Deputy Director; was a guest speaker at the conference.  Ms. Kelly provided an update on the DOT’s regulated drug and alcohol testing efforts.  Other DOT officials in attendance and on the speaking agenda included Jim Keenan from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Lamar Allen from the Federal Railroad Administration.  Joe Strom had the honor of meeting with Mr. Keenan and Mr. Powers to discuss USA Mobile Drug Testing and the emphasis on compliance though out USAMDT. DOT officials continue to be concerned about errors in the collection process; Mr. Strom emphasized that all USAMDT owners receive comprehensive training and are all not only DOT qualified but also DATIA certified for urine collections and are all certified Breath Alcohol Technicians.

DATIA introduced at the 2012 conference a new service that will allow members to quickly and easily contact legislators regarding drug and alcohol testing laws. This new program called CAPWIZ will integrate the DATIA website seamlessly to create a customizable legislative action center, enabling DATIA to mobilize its members. Last year alone, CAPWIZ delivered more than 25 million e-mail messages to federal and state elected officials.  USA Mobile Drug Testing applauds DATIA for this investment in technology to strengthen the advocacy efforts the association can provide on behalf of the DATIA membership.

USA Mobile Drug Testing welcomes Dennis Pincince & Tom Underhill from Rhode Island, Tona Trondsen from North Houston, Texas and Laura Sola & Jorge Colon-Muntaner from San Juan, Puerto Rico

USA Mobile Drug Testing compliance specialists are available for compliant On Site – Mobile Drug Testing Services including: 24/7 Emergency Services and Scheduled Events – random testing, mass hiring testing.

Employers can save money with mobile drug & alcohol testing which means no employee travel time or down time and minimal productivity loss for employers.  All UAMDT collectors have been trained and completed proficiency per DOT 49 CFR Part 40 for urine collections and for breath alcohol testing.  All of our USAMDT owners are required to complete a training regimen called C-USAMDT, designed to ensure regulatory compliance and a defensible drug or alcohol test collection.

Working for a company that is alcohol and drug free has a lot of advantages. Employers who maintain alcohol- and drug-free workplaces do more than just protect their business assets—they contribute to the improved safety, health and well-being of their workforce. Employees benefit from knowing that a drug-free workplace program applies not only to them, but to all the coworkers and managers on whom their safety and security depends.

Take a moment to consider the positive impact a drug-free environment has on:

Safety

Employees in drug-free environments have greater confidence that their workplaces are safe…Think about the construction contractor whose personal safety depends on his fellow workers being alert and focused at all times.

Health

Employees in drug-free environments take comfort in knowing that their workplace is healthy…Consider the restaurant server who knows his own health won’t be compromised because he has to work a double shift to cover for a colleague who regularly calls in sick due to a hangover.

Productivity

Employees in drug-free environments are reassured that their workplaces are productive…Think about the high-tech worker who knows he won’t miss an important deadline because he’s covering for a colleague whose output lags due to drug abuse.

Morale

Employees in drug-free workplaces are pleased to be part of a team that gets the job done and enjoy the benefits of higher morale…Picture the nurse who arrives for work each day with the knowledge that the level of patient care won’t suffer due to a coworker’s abuse of alcohol or other drugs.

Security

Employees in drug-free workplaces appreciate that their employer’s policies make them more secure…Consider the electronics store sales associate who doesn’t worry that the cash register she shares will be short at the end of the day because a coworker steals to support a drug habit.

Well-Being

Employees in drug-free workplaces feel an enhanced sense of well-being…Think about the accountant who worked hard to achieve recovery and finds that his supportive work environment plays an important role in his continued sobriety and success.

In our experience at USA Mobile Drug Testing, we find that small businesses are most vulnerable. When it comes to workplace substance abuse, small businesses have big disadvantages. They are less likely to have programs in place to combat the problem, yet they are more likely to be the “employer-of-choice” for illicit drug users. Individuals who can’t adhere to a drug-free workplace policy seek employment at firms that don’t have one, and the cost of just one error caused by an impaired employee can devastate a small company. USA Mobile Drug Testing consultants are ready, willing and able to help any business large or small to assist with implementing a comprehensive, consistent and fair drug free workplace program.

“August 29, 2011,  A federal jury for the Middle District of Tennessee awarded employees who were fired for using prescription medications more than $800,000. The award included punitive damages. The award was upheld by the Court (Bates et al. v. Dura Automotive Services, Inc. Case No. 1:08-0029 M.D. TN).

 Here, not only did non-medically trained supervisors make decisions regarding the impact of prescription use on the employees’ ability to perform assigned tasks, but they did so in the face of their own reviewing doctor calling the results negative and letters from some plaintiffs’ doctors saying they were perfectly safe. Their inflexibility of the drug test policy was, as the Court said, “sufficiently structurally devoid of consideration for the plaintiffs’ rights under the ADA that punitive damages are appropriate.” This was itself malicious.”

Compliance experts at USA Mobile Testing recognize a new threat these days: the widespread abuse of prescription drugs on the job.  Opioids like Vicodin and Oxycontin are growing in popularity, as are anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax and Valium, making it too easy for them to be abused. As dependencies grow, working people are often unaware or unable to admit that they have a problem, since prescription drugs are often considered “acceptable” by virtue of the fact that they’ve been prescribed, and are legal.

Standard 5 and 10 panel drug tests are not testing for many of the pain medications that are currently being abused in the workplace.  USA Mobile Drug Testing offers expanded opiate testing that includes Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Lortab, Vicodin, etc.  In any drug testing program, the use of a Medical Review Officer (MRO) is critical to the success of a defensible drug test result and avoidance of exposure to liability.

After receiving a positive result at the lab, it is the job of the MRO to determine what the final outcome is and what is to be reported to the employer – positive or negative.  The employer should never attempt to act as the MRO and review an employee’s list of prescriptions or attempt to make any decision based on the quantitative results from the laboratory.  Either of these situations will present the employer with huge exposure to liability, possible lawsuit, trial and payment of damages.   See the case above regarding Dura Automotive Services, Inc and the $800,000 award.

Employers should never ask employees for a list of their medications, this can lead to an ADA violation.  Is the employer trained and qualified to determine the affects of legally prescribed drugs?  For safety issues employers can ask employees’ for notification when they are prescribed a drug which may affect the employee’s to safely perform their job.  This is a company policy and fit for duty situation.

Employers should never review the quantitative levels from a positive drug test drug.  Is the employer trained and qualified to make any decisions from the quantitative levels?

Many factors influence the level of a drug in a donor’s system. Metabolism, physical condition, fluid balance, frequency of drug ingestion and the last time the drug was consumed are all contributing factors to quantitative levels. The ‘number’ you may see does not provide valid information outside the entire review process conducted by a licensed Medical Review Officer.

USA Mobile Drug Testing compliance consultants have the best interest of their clients in mind.  There is nothing effective that the employer can do with the quantitative levels on a positive drug test, in fact under DOT regulations it is prohibited to provide this information to the employer.

Why does the USA Mobile Drug Testing discourage quantitative level reporting and what does that have to do with Non DOT drug screening?

1.  To prevent the employer from having exposure to liability
2. The ‘numbers’ associated with quant levels require interpretation and context. This process should be handled by a medical doctor.
3. There can be liability issues with the pre‐judgment that may occur if a quant level is available.
4. The DOT is the single standard for drug screening.  A regulation within this standard is always a consideration for non DOT drug screening. A non DOT quant level has the same repercussions a DOT quant level has – misinterpretation and liability.

While it may seem that providing quant levels for a drug screen is a good idea, the opposite is true. Providing unambiguous and comprehensible information is helpful to our clients; providing confusing or potentially misinterpreted information is not so helpful. As a DER or C/TPA, we must consider the ramifications of the information we provide: for ourselves, a client, and for a donor (or an employee). Quantitative levels are just a part of the medical professional’s resources for interpreting a drug screening result. In a medical, treatment, EAP or SAP context, these levels assist with the overall interpretation of a positive drug screen. Outside of that context, quantitative levels provoke far more misinterpretation than they provide any meaningful information.

To avoid liability employers should have comprehensive drug free workplace policies and USA Mobile Drug Testing compliance experts can help with this. Drug testing should be performed with guidelines set forth by the Federal and appropriate State laws.  Reviewing employee lists of prescription drugs or asking for quantitative levels is a dangerous practice and can lead to lawsuits.  Employers are strongly urged to consult with and follow the advice of their USA Mobile Drug Testing compliance expert in all aspects of their Drug Free Workplace Program.

15310 Amberly Drive, Suite 220
Tampa, FL 33647

A special thanks to Doug Bartley with Bartley and Associates.

WOW! Marijuana, while pretty widely accepted, is still illegal.  Would you allow your employees to break other laws on the weekends – hey what they do on their own time is their own business.

First off, employers should always follow their company policies.  If the policy states that the use of illegal drugs is prohibited on or off the job and marijuana is included in the list of illegal drugs; then you have to follow the policy when there is a violation.

Secondly, Department of Transportation (DOT) regulated employees cannot use illegal drugs including marijuana on or off the job.  This is a serious safety violation and an employer can face fines or be shut down for allowing someone who previously tested positive to continue to drive without required rehabilitation.

And there are a number of other reasons why an employer should care if their employees smoke pot on the weekends.  How do you know they only smoke pot on the weekends? There is no test that can tell you when the person used the illegal drug.  In any drug testing program, management must only be concerned with pass or fail after a confirmed drug test result is verified and reviewed by a Medical Review Officer (MRO).  At USA Mobile Drug Testing only Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) laboratories are utilized that perform initial and confirmation testing.  All results are verified and reviewed by the MRO.

Business owners and human resource managers often ask for the quantitative levels on a positive test for marijuana.  Why?  Is the business owner or HR manager a scientist with more knowledge than the scientist employed at SAMHSA certified laboratories?  What part of a positive drug test is misunderstood?  The levels do not tell you when the person smoked the marijuana.

We must also consider the harmful effects of using marijuana and the effects in the workplace.  Marijuana effects on the human body often have many negative and adverse consequences; marijuana effects include a weakening of the immune system, loss of memory, verbal skills and judgment. Are these the employees you are relying on? While many believe marijuana to be a “safe” drug, or one that cannot become addictive, studies by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and other research shows that marijuana and long-term marijuana effects can lead to addiction.  In the long term, health insurance costs sky rocket when drug users are in the group.

Smoking marijuana, while often joked about in circles of friends who smoke marijuana, does include severe impairment to a person’s ability to create and recall memories and events. Many drug users and friends of drug users see marijuana as a relatively innocent drug; however research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that marijuana has caused considerably dangerous conditions when driving under the influence. High doses of marijuana can cause hallucinations and delusions, at which point the person under the influence is liable to place him/her in unsafe situations.

USA Mobile Drug Testing compliance consultants have the best interest of their clients in mind.  There is nothing effective that one can do with the quantitative levels on a positive drug test, in fact under DOT regulations it is prohibited to provide this information to the employer.

Employing folks who smoke pot is huge exposure to liability. Marijuana users often use other drugs also.  No one who died from a heroin overdose ever just woke up that day and decided to use heroin.  Unfortunately they most likely started with marijuana and then moved on to cocaine and other highly dangerous drugs leading to the heroin overdose.  Do not let this happen in your organization.

On January 25, 2012 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. approved both of the Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB) July, 2011, recommendations:

(1) Based on review of the science, DTAB recommends that SAMHSA include oral fluid as an alternative specimen in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs.

(2) DTAB recommends the inclusion of additional Schedule II prescription medications (e.g., oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone and hydromorphone) in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs.

“It is important to note that these recommendations are not yet in effect for Federal workplace or Department of Transportation testing” stated Joe Strom, CEO of USA Mobile Drug Testing.  “Administrator Hyde directed SAMHSA to implement the recommendations through revisions to the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs.  This will take some time.”

USA Mobile Drug Testing officials were also pleased with the statement issued by the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC), “the opportunity to address the illicit use and abuse of these additional Schedule II drugs in the transportation industries is an important way to limit their misuse in our communities and a great way to serve transportation safety, while getting those who need treatment into treatment. And please know that oral fluid testing will be a bonus to our regulated transportation industry program; and will certainly serve to assist the DOTs National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in its efforts, with others, to establish national per se laws for Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID).”

DOT is required by law to follow HHS procedures for the drugs for which they test and the specimens they test. Therefore, the DOT will continue to work with the DTAB, HHS/SAMHSA, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and others to bring these approved recommendations to realization in our regulations and throughout the transportation industries.

USA Mobile Drug Testing will notify clients at such time that these new drug testing regulations become a reality and are officially a part of the program.  Please note again these approved recommendations are not yet in effect.

Drug use, abuse, or addiction among employees and their family members can cause expensive problems for business and industry, ranging from lost productivity, absenteeism, injuries, fatalities, theft and low employee morale, to an increase in health care, legal liabilities and workers’ compensation costs.

Karen Tinker, a DATIA Certified Professional Collector (CPC) and Territory Manager for USA Mobile Drug Testing recently reported for SHRM Atlanta:

Research shows that a full 8% of the working population has admitted to doing drugs!  The US Coast Guard did a study stating each drug user cost them, on average, $6,600/year.   The Dept. of Labor did a similar study and states it costs them $7,000/year. Other industry studies show each drug user in the workplace can cost an employer $11,000 to $13,000 per year because of health care costs, loss of productivity, turnover, injuries and damage to equipment. Let’s do the math with the lowest figure from the Coast Guard:

1,000 employees – assuming 8% average drug use = 80 employees effected

80 x $6,600 = $528,000

That is over half a million dollars a year that an employer may be wasting on workers’ comp claims, injuries, lost productivity, absenteeism and poor morale. 

The exposure to liability with having employers who use illegal drugs is huge.  The ROI increases tenfold with appropriate post accident testing which can lead to the denial of a workers’ comp claim. The greatest financial benefit from drug testing comes from post-accident testing. Post-accident drug testing puts you in position (or better position) to defeat a workers’ compensation claim. A major reason to implement a drug testing program is to make money by defeating workers compensation claims when an employee is positive. Most days, but especially in this economy, it is incredible that any employer would ignore a practice that will save money. Drug testing can help to return money to the company’s bottom line.

Contact USA Mobile Drug Testing for a FREE report on the “Intoxication Defense in Workers’ Compensation” for your particular state – see how a post accident test can save you money.

Bath salts have become increasingly popular over the past two years. Mark Ryan, director of the Louisiana Poison Center states that there were 248 calls from 25 states nationwide linked to bath salts in January 2011 compared to the 234 calls received in all of 2010. Bath salts are sold at convenience stores, truck stops, and on the internet in $20 packets. They are marketed under the names “Ivory Wave,” “Purple Wave,” “Vanilla Sky,” and “Bliss” along with the warning “not for human consumption” to stay under the radar. Nevertheless, on September 7, 2011 the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) invoked its “emergency scheduling authority” to control the three main synthetic substances found in these stimulants – mephedrone, MDPV, and methylone. The emergency action will remain in effect for at least a year while they seek to take permanent control of the drug.

Users can snort, shoot, or mix the bath salts in with food or drink. The side effects are similar to those an amphetamine overdose, which includes paranoia, hallucinations, chest pain, high blood pressure, and suicidal tendencies. Ryan states, “If you take the very worst of some of the other drugs—LSD and Ecstasy with their hallucinogenic, delusional type properties, PCP with extreme agitation, superhuman strength, and combativeness, as well as the stimulant properties of cocaine and meth—if you take all the worst of those and put them together , this is what you get.” According to him, the psychosis is impressive. He recalls one case of a bath salt user who barricaded himself in the attic with a rifle to “get the monsters before they get him.” Once users are in the emergency room, they can’t be controlled with normal sedatives like Valium even in high doses. Once stronger sedatives are in effect and patients are weaned, they become uncontrollable again. The cravings are so intense that users often go back to the drug. Don’t wait until it’s too late. If you suspect someone is using bath salts, USA Mobile Drug Testing can help. They are the fastest growing mobile drug testing company in the nation and will come to anyone, anytime, anywhere. USAMDT will administer a drug test on-site, whether you’re at home or the office and will have results back within 24 – 72 hours.

Bath salts are also linked to other debilitating side effects. A woman recently had her right arm and shoulder amputated due to flesh-eating bacteria at the injection site. The 34 year old woman visited the hospital to report pain after injecting the bath salts a few days earlier. The injection site had been exposed to streptococcus bacteria that was eating away at her flesh and killing the muscle underneath. This example may sound bizarre, but illegal chemists are rapidly producing new strains of the drug. Although the basic chemical composition is the same, any slight change can produce new side effects, which clinicians are learning how to deal with.

With that said, states are working hard to ban the dangerous drug. Louisiana and Florida have already classified bath salts as a schedule 1 drug, putting them in the same category as heroine. This means that the drug has no medicinal value, but has a high potential for abuse and can be declared illegal. Now law enforcement officials can do more than just slap users on the wrist with a misdemeanor. Mississippi and Kentucky are also close to enacting a ban on the drug. Although states are moving swiftly, it could take much longer for federal regulations to be passed. In addition to the DEA, the Department of Health and Human Services is involved. It could take years, although physicians and officials alike hope that it’s sooner than later. At the present, bath salt users are getting around statewide bans by purchasing them on the internet and having them shipped to neighboring states.

Bath salts are one of many designer drugs. The motivation for buying and selling them is the same – they are new and under the radar. Both local and national laws are seeking to expose this dangerous new addiction and put it to rest for good.