According to the Centers for Disease Control, the United States is facing an opioid overdose epidemic. Deaths due to opioids quadrupled between 2000 and 2014. At least half of these deaths were due to prescription opioids.

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Penny Horton | April 26, 2019

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is the federal agency who provides accreditation to laboratories to conduct forensic urine drug testing as required by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.  Currently, under DOT guidelines federal contractors are required to conduct drug testing for safety-sensitive employees in 5 categories which include Marijuana, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Opioids, and Phencyclidine.

On January 1, 2018, HHS renamed the ‘Opiates’ category to ‘Opioids’ and expanded testing to include the semi-synthetic opioids Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Oxycodone, and Oxymorphone.  Some brand names for the semi-synthetic opioids include OxyContin®, Percodan®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Lortab®, Norco®, Dilaudid®, Exalgo®.

Opioids are often prescribed to patients to manage pain.  While all medications may affect individuals differently, because Opioids affect the central nervous system, they can cause drowsiness, poor memory and confusion, decreased cognitive functioning, and impairment of neuromuscular coordination.

Employees need to understand the potential safety hazards opioid use can cause at work and should be aware of the implications that may result with their employer if the medications show up during a urine drug screen, especially if the employee does not possess a prescription for the medication or is not using the medication in accordance with the prescription.

Opioid misuse is a serious matter.  If you or anyone you know is impacted by Opioid misuse, I urge you to seek assistance. There are many available resources, some of which can be found at https://www.samhsa.gov/iecmhc/special-topics/opioids-substance-misuse.

Employers should make sure to review their current drug and alcohol testing procedures to ensure the language and expectations have been updated and are currently in compliance with all state, local and federal laws.

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