Interpreting Drug Tests

System · April 2003

We had an employee test positive for THC (marijuana) during a random drug screen. The confirmation had a quanative result. It shows the quantity as 63. I am looking for a good web page to help us know interpret this quanity. Can anyone help?

Leslie · April 2003

I don't know of a web page, but I can help a bit. The 63 is nanograms per mililiter. Our company has a limit of 50 nanograms per mililiter - 50 or above and you're positive. The worst case second hand smoke scenario under controlled testing caused an 18 nanograms per mililiter. So, anyone at 50 or above has absolutely ingested in some manner. However, from what I understand, many companies use a standard of 100 nanograms.

Can you tell I've been administering a drug testing program WAY too long? (:|

arodriguez · April 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-29-03 AT 10:24AM (CST)[/font][p]I'm curious as to why you want to interpret the quantity? A positive is a positive and your policy on drug testing should reflect what needs to be done in the case of a positive result. (Ok, I admit it... I always look at quantitative if for nothing more than curiosity!)

Although quantitative doesn't necessarily mean anything (for instance, you can't determine from quantitative that the person smokes one puff 5x a week or that a person used in excess once in the past 4 days)... the quantitative could potentially be the same.

A. Rodriguez
Human Resource Manager

Don D · April 2003

I recommend that you talk to the clinic or firm that produced the results report for you. They can provide you with literature, contact persons and even set you up with an MRO (medical review officer) physician who can not only interpret but can also distinguish the positives that may be explained by legal medications. If you have a program in place, whoever set it up had the option of paying for these additional services and must have chosen the cheap ride. I agree that positive is positive, but it's also true that you can sometimes go overboard interpreting these things yourself and can even deny employment to someone the MRO would pass.

Balloonman · April 2003

I can't imagine that anyone would not have a MRO as part of their drug testing system. This should be done as a matter of policy, as it keeps you from having to make any judgement calls that you are not equipped to make. The fact is, the false positive is rare to non-exsistent with the use of an MRO. Fact is 99% of drug users are also liars when caught. Rare is the person who will admit it outright and night try to BS you with a second hand smoke line. When an MRO reports a positive it is just that and there is no need for second guessing.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

Don D · April 2003

I worked at the largest refrigerated transportation company on the continent and we used no MRO for non-DOT drug screens. We got the results the next day and utilized them ourselves in the process. The MRO was required by the DOT process but not for any of the 5-700 non-driving jobs. As to the false positives, the larger culprit is the positive result on folks who are on any number of mimicking drugs prescribed legally. Only an MRO is equipped technically to handle those decisions.

Interpreting Drug Tests

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