Drug Testing Resources

Find resources on Workplace drug-testing programs, which are designed to detect the presence of alcohol, illicit drugs, or certain prescription drugs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Federal Workplace Drug Testing

FAQ's About Federal Workplace Drug Testing

Drug testing is a prevention and deterrent method that is often part of a comprehensive drug-free workplace program. Any workplace drug-testing program, Federal and non-federal, should comply with applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Access the latest Federal Custody and Control Forms (CCF), HHS Mandatory Guidelines, public comments and information requests.

Laboratory Resources

Cannabimimetics Testing: For the current list of HHS-certified laboratories that offer cannabimimetics testing for federal agency specimens, please contact the National Laboratory Certification Program (NLCP) at (919) 541-7242 or email NLCP@rti.org.

Specimen Collection Resources

Conducting Drug Tests

Testing must be conducted by an HHS-certified test facility. HHS-certified urine laboratories and oral fluid laboratories conduct all tests and report all specimen results. For urine only, instrumented initial test facilities (IITFs) conduct the initial drug and first specimen validity tests for urine specimens and report only the negative and negative-dilute results. IITFs forward specimens requiring further testing to an HHS-certified urine laboratory.

Before beginning drug testing, ask the following questions addressed in your drug-free workplace policy and consider how they will affect your testing program.

Who receives testing?
When are the drug tests given?
Who conducts the testing?
What substances are tested for?
Who pays for the drug testing?
What steps are taken to ensure the accuracy of the drug tests?
What are the legal rights of employees who receive a positive test result?

Develop a system to protect the confidentiality of employee drug-testing records. Select a person within your organization who will be responsible for receiving employee drug test results, and make sure that the person is aware of confidentiality protocols. Explain the relationship of the drug testing program to your organization’s employee assistance plan (EAP), if one is offered. Let employees know how drug-testing results can be used to inform their treatment, rehabilitation, and re-integration into the workplace.

Find more information on determining whether to conduct workplace drug testing.

Types of Drug Tests

Drug tests vary, depending on what types of drugs are being tested for and what types of specimens are being collected. Blood (plasma, serum, whole blood), breath, hair, meconium, saliva (oral fluid), sweat, body tissues, and urine are some of the specimen types that can be used for drug testing.

Under the authority of Section 503 of Public Law 100-71, 5 U.S.C. Section 7301, and Executive Order No. 12564, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) establishes the scientific and technical guidelines for Federal workplace drug testing programs and established standards for certification of laboratories engaged in drug testing Federal agencies. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has published mandatory guidelines for drug testing for urine (UrMG) and for oral fluid (OFMG).

Federal agency drug tests include five categories of drugs, along with required specimen validity tests (for urine) and provisions for analysis of specimen biomarkers. Drug categories and drugs include: amphetamines (amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxyamphetamine [MDA], methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]); cocaine; marijuana; opiates/opioids (heroin, codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone); and phencyclidine (PCP). On a case-by-case basis, specimens may be tested for any of the Schedule I or II drugs of the federal Controlled Substances Act. Urine specimen validity tests are used to determine if a specimen exhibits abnormal physical characteristics, causes reactions or responses characteristic of an adulterant during initial or confirmatory drug tests, or contains an unidentified substance that interferes with the confirmatory analysis. Biomarker tests are used to identify specimens that are not consistent with a human specimen (i.e., based on the absence or abnormal concentration of the biomarker).

Drug testing may be used in the following set times or circumstances:

Pre-employment: You can make passing a drug test a condition of employment. With this approach, all job candidates will receive drug testing prior to being hired.
Annual Physical Tests: You can drug test your employees as part of an annual physical examination. Be sure to inform employees that drug testing will be part of the exam. Failure to provide prior notification is a violation of the employee's constitutional rights.
For-cause and Reasonable Suspicion Tests: You may decide to test employees who show discernible signs of being unfit for duty (for-cause testing), or who have a documented pattern of unsafe work behavior (reasonable suspicion testing.) These kinds of tests help to protect the safety and wellbeing of the employee and other coworkers.
Post-accident Tests: Testing employees who were involved in a workplace accident or unsafe practices can help determine whether alcohol or other drug use was a contributing factor to the incident.
Post-treatment Tests: Testing employees who return to work after completing a rehabilitation program can encourage them to remain drug-free.
Random Tests: Tests using an unpredictable selection process are the most effective for deterring illicit drug use.
Return-to-duty Tests and Follow-up Tests: Regulated employees that return to duty may be subject to follow-up testing. These kind of tests follow the employee to subsequent employers or through breaks in service.

Test Results

Ensuring the accuracy of drug-testing results is critical. Using an HHS certified laboratory to test the specimens and a Medical Review Officer (MRO) to interpret federally-regulated test results are required and help prevent inaccurate testing. MROs are licensed physicians who receive laboratory results and have knowledge of drug testing, substance use disorders and federal drug testing regulations.

MROs are trained to verify test reports by interpreting and evaluating test results together with the employee’s medical history, employee interview, and other relevant information. A negative test result does not indicate that an employee or job applicant has never used illicit drugs (or alcohol), nor is it a guarantee against future use. Note that a laboratory-confirmed positive test result does not automatically identify an employee or job applicant as having misused drugs, nor does a laboratory biomarker result of invalid, adulterated, or substituted automatically identify a person as having tampered with a specimen.

Federal agency specimen collections are split into containers A and B. Container A is tested by the HHS-certified laboratory. Container B is retained for additional testing (if needed). Federal employees or employees in safety and security-sensitive industries that receive a MRO-verified positive drug test report have the right to have the split specimen (container B) tested by a second HHS-certified laboratory. Although a second test is not required, all employers should include this right in their employee drug-testing programs.

Depending on the federal agency, the workplace, and the circumstances, employees who drug test positive may be referred to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), into treatment, or for disciplinary action.

Medical Review Officer (MRO) Resources

Last Updated: 07/19/2024