Recent Prescription Drug Abuse Report From the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recently released research showing a significant increase in deaths from prescription painkiller drug abuse in the last decade. These painkiller drugs include oxycodone, methadone, and hydrocodone.

An estimated 12 million people annually used prescription painkiller drugs illegally. And a half a million emergency visits were from misuse of painkillers.

You can find further information on this report at: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/VitalSigns/PainkillerOverdoses/.

National Conference on Substance Abuse, Child Welfare and the Courts

With the attendance last month of the National Conference on Substance Abuse, Child Welfare and the Courts I found information not only pertaining to drug and alcohol testing but many other areas of treatment.

Subjects ranging from coloration with not only other providers but law enforcement, substance exposed infants, PTSD in military families, drug courts and prescription abuse where very useful and informative. Please feel free to make use of the information that can be found at http://www.cffutures.org/conference2011/conferenceagenda.

By clicking on the subject you will be redirected to the information. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the posting about this info and please feel free to contact me directly about the conference materials.

New Alcohol Markers – Proper use and interpretation

Facts about EtG/EtS testing:

History (c/o etg.weebly.com)
Ethylglucuronide (EtG) was described as early as the 1950′s, however, clinical use of the test as an alcohol marker began in 2001 when Dr. Friedrich Wurst, in Switzerland, and Dr. Gregory Skipper, in the USA reported a study of alcoholics in a psychiatric facility in Germany. Their findings demonstrated that EtG was a more sensitive and reliable indicator of both drinking and abstinence than was urine alcohol. Dr. Skipper recognized that urine EtG would be a valuable test in monitoring professionals. The Federation of State Physician Health Programs estimates that over 9,000 physicians are in monitoring in the USA. An essential issue in justifying the continued safe practice of recovering physicians involves the ability to reliably document their abstinence.As the test gained wider use, several important issues began to emerge that frame the complexities of interpreting these tests. It’s important to understand their limitations, as with all tests, to use them properly. Some of these issues are discussed in more depth elsewhere on this site and include:

Synthetic Cannabinoid, Salts and Other Legal Highs Webinar

by Aaron Atkinson, June 2011, originally posted at Drug Testing Blog, Quest Diagnostics

Last week, our Director of Science and Technology, Barry Sample Ph.D. presented a webinar regarding What Employers need to know about “Synthetic Cannabinoids”, “Bath Salts” and other “Legal Highs”.

This webinar was designed to provide employers with information they need about these products — what they are, their legal status, and testing considerations — in order to help employers determine whether these products should be included in their workplace drug testing programs.

A recording of the seminar and presentation are now available online. You can download the content by clicking here.

Medical Marijuana Statutes and Employers

by Aaron Atkinson, June 2011, originally posted at Drug Testing Blog

In 1996, California set precedent by passing Proposition 215 and becoming the first state to legalize “medical marijuana.” Now, 16 states, plus Washington, D.C., have enacted their own laws legalizing medical marijuana, and the pressure on other states to pass similar legislation appears to be growing.

While there are many controversial topics surrounding medical marijuana laws, one area that is often overlooked is the affect these laws have on employers—specifically with regard to an employer’s ability to discipline or terminate an employee for using medical marijuana.