New Year, New DOT Testing Panel Requirements

Do you have DOT covered employees? If you do, starting 1/1/2018 DOT drug testing panel requirements have been changed to include synthetic opioids (hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and oxymorphone).  Some common names for these synthetic opioids include OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet, Vicodin, Lortab, Norco, Dilaudid and Exalgo.

An employee who has a legitimate prescription, and who obtains the drug from a licensed pharmacy, will not be in violation and will not require a SAP return-to-duty process.  But if the employee doesn’t have a legitimate prescription, the MRO can assume the employee is using illegal street drugs, and the employee be in DOT violation.

If your DOT policies identify drugs in the DOT testing panel, you must include synthetic opiates to that list. Make sure the lab you use for DOT drug testing includes synthetic opioids in its DOT panel.

A  Ulliance 12-month Randomized Drug Testing program includes:

• A Ulliance case manager available to your employee (via a toll free number) to guide them
  through the process
• A web based system that randomizes test dates
• A toll free number and support to employees enrolling in the testing system
• Collection of the 16 urine samples
• Testing of each sample
• Review of any positive results by a Medical Review Officer (MRO)
• Compliance updates for each test
• Consultation from your EAP Account Manager regarding compliance questions
  and the overall testing program

 Ulliance can provide you with a 12-month Randomized Drug Testing Program for your organization. For more information contact 866.648.8326