Decrease Risk & Drug Abuse
Chapter 3 of 'From Healthy Aides to Healthier Agency'
What panel should I choose?
As mentioned, given the access home health workers have to prescriptions and painkillers an 8 panel drug test is highly recommended for a wider range of possible abused substances.
Keep in mind in 2013 there were 55 million prescriptions written for opiates and almost 30 million were written for benzodiazepine meaning your home care workers often have quick and easy access to these drugs. In this regard, drug tests are personalized to the employee’s position and not the same for everyone. You wouldn’t, for example, give the same drug test to a receptionist as you would a home care aide.
How far back can drugs be detected?
This varies by the drug and testing medium. 
Drug tests can utilize urine, hair, blood, or saliva for testing. The choice of testing medium has an impact on how far back substances can be detected. In addition, the size, weight, health of your candidates, level of hydration, and other factors can have an impact on how far back drug use can be detected – for more information check out this article on drug detection periods.
How accurate are drug testing results?
Home drug tests are not lab certified and can lead to false results. For accuracy and efficiency, select a vendor who can perform drug tests that are certified by a federal authority such as SAMHSA who will then send results to a Medical Review Officer for review who will follow strict anti-tampering specifications.
All in all, instilling a drug free work zone will gain you:
- 2% reduction on workers comp claims
- A safer employer work environment for your home care workers and patients
- A higher quality of care as a result of focused attentive home care support
- Reduce risk of at-work injuries
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