With the prevalence and increasing incidence of drug-related cases on the job, drug testing in the workplace has become top priority for managements of companies all over the world.
Most companies make use of the standard 5-panel test for incidence of street drugs, composed of marijuana (THC), PCP, opiates such as codeine and morphine, amphetamines including methamphetamines like Ecstasy and cocaine. Other companies even include legal prescription drugs to be prepared for abuse of these substances, and they also include testing for alcohol.
Every person is different and so is every drug making drug testing a less-than-simple process when applied to the workplace where the working environment may add a third variable. Most drugs may be detected in the system from 2 – 4 days although for drugs like marijuana or PCP, traces may be detected up to 14 days in the case of chronic users. The newer and more expensive method of hair follicle drug testing can detect drug usage over a 90-day time frame. Valium and other sedatives may remain in the system for as long as a month.
