Drug and Alcohol Testing


U.S. Supreme Court Limits Drunk Driving Test Laws

Police must obtain a search warrant before requiring drivers to submit to blood tests, the court ruled June 23.

HHS Pursues Nasal Spray Anthrax Vaccine

The Centers for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing will be taking on the project

FDA Reminds Health Care Workers Not to Use Sterile Drugs from Medaus

The agency is concerned that the products may pose serious risks to patients.

Of the 721 cases and nine deaths statewide, investigators examined the records of 119 UMMC patients, including three deaths, and found 71 percent tested positive for a synthetic cannabinoid – and more than three fourths of the positive tests identified MAB-CHMINACA, a potent synthetic cannabinoid.

CDC's 65th Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference Under Way

The Atlanta conference for EIS officers includes sessions on Zika, e-cigarettes, chronic diseases, serious illnesses associated with the synthetic cannabinoid MAB-CHMINACA, visitor injuries from with bison in Yellowstone National Park, and more.

CDC's Guideline Is a Much-Needed Start

The National Safety Council put it even more succinctly, so that no one could miss the gravity of this situation: 52 people in America are dying from prescription opioid overdoses every day.

Rx Drug Abuse Summit Maps Solutions for 'Community Problem'

Dr. Patrice Harris, chair-elect of the American Medical Association and chair of its Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse, said progress is being made: From 2014 to 2015, opioid prescriptions decreased 6.8 percent nationally, following a 2.9 percent decline the year before.

CDC Releases Guideline for Opioid Prescribing

The guideline is intended for primary care providers who are treating adult patients for chronic pain -- and not for active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care.

The best and brightest 2016 shows include NFMT 2016, AIHce 2016, ASSE

Looking Ahead to AIHce, Safety 2016, VPPPA, and More

The best and brightest 2016 shows include NFMT 2016, which takes place in March 2016 in Baltimore, followed by AIHce 2016, ASSE's Safety 2016, NFPA's Conference & Expo VPPPA's national conference, WEFTEC 2016, and the 2016 National Safety Congress & Expo.



National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Set for April 30

DEA's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is intended to provide a safe and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while educating the public about the potential for medication misuse.

FMCSA Declares Truck Driver an Imminent Hazard

The agency has ordered a California-licensed driver not to operate any commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce.

Changes Proposed on Confidentiality of Substance Disorder Records

"This proposal will help patients with substance use disorders fully participate and benefit from a health care delivery system that’s better, smarter, and healthier while protecting their privacy," HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said. "We are moving Medicare, and the health care system as a whole, toward new integrated care models that incentivize providers to coordinate and put the patient at the center of their care, and we are modernizing our rules to protect patients."

The impairment argument is incredibly complex. Many employers use the term in workplace drug and alcohol policies but this may not be the most prudent choice as marijuana impairment cannot necessarily be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Trends in Marijuana Legalization: A Wake-Up Call for Employers

Weakening or removing employers’ rights for a safe and drug free workplace ultimately threatens all of us.

Relaxed attitudes toward marijuana use come at a time when the drug is more potent than ever. (J.J. Keller & Associates photo)

Marijuana Use and Its Impact on Workplace Safety and Productivity

Despite the safety and productivity risks associated with marijuana use, the drug is increasingly seen as socially acceptable and its dangers may be marginalized.

Adapt Pharma Making Naloxone Available to All U.S. High Schools

Adapt Pharma Making Naloxone Available to All U.S. High Schools

The announcement, made at the CHMI Fifth Annual Health Matters Activation Summit, builds upon a 2015 announcement with Adapt Pharma to provide school districts, college campuses, public safety agencies, and community-based organizations access to discounted pricing to Naloxone.

Dr. Jay Butler, chief medical officer of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, called the state

HHS Commissions Addiction Report

The report will examine the health effects of drug and alcohol misuse from the perspectives of prevention, treatment, recovery, neurobiology, and delivery of care.

Treating marijuana the same as alcohol is impossible for several reasons. There are no measurements for marijuana impairment that relate across the board to how we understand alcohol impairment.

New York State Medical Marijuana Program Launches Today

As of Jan. 5, nearly 150 doctors statewide had registered for the program and can certify their patients, if clinically appropriate for their qualifying condition and consistent with the department's guidance and regulations.

'360 Strategy' Tackles Heroin, Rx Drug Abuse

"This three-sided strategy . . . could be a model for many other communities," said Gary Tuggle, DEA Special Agent in Charge for the Philadelphia Division.

Some locations, operations, or hazmat personnel may require security awareness training that includes security risks associated with their specific tasks and methods designed to enhance security.

FMCSA Cuts Random Testing Rate for 2016

FMCSA reports the estimated positive random controlled substance test rate in 2013 was 0.7 percent, compared with the estimated positive rates for drugs of 0.9 percent in 2011 and 0.6 percent in 2012.

Attorney General Eric Holder recommends that federal law enforcement personnel who may encounter people experiencing an opioid overdose be trained and equipped with naloxone.

CDC Researchers Report Big 2014 Increase in Opioid Death Rates

Heroin overdose death rates increased by 26 percent from 2013 to 2014 and have more than tripled since 2010, from 1.0 per 100,000 in 2010 to 3.4 per 100,000 in 2014.

Daily Marijuana Use Overtakes Cigarette Use for 12th Graders

Dr. Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of NIDA, said "continued areas of concern are the high rate of daily marijuana smoking seen among high school students, because of marijuana's potential deleterious effects on the developing brains of teenagers, and the high rates of overall tobacco products and nicotine-containing e-cigarettes usage."

Featured

Artificial Intelligence