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Drug Testing

Post-Accident Drug Testing

June 26, 2014 Alcohol Testing, Drug Testing, Drug-free Workplace, UncategorizedAdam BellLeave a comment

Post-Accident Drug Testing is performed after an employee is involved in an accident of some kind.  Non-DOT employers may require employees to submit to post-accident drug tests as are stipulated by their drug testing policy.  Employees that are regulated by the Department of Transportation are required to submit to a DOT Post-Accident urine drug and/or breath alcohol tests under certain circumstances.  The following are the requirements as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

FMCSA Post Accident Tree

Under DOT regulations the alcohol test should be conducted within two hours and the drug test should be conducted within 32 hours of the accident.  If the alcohol test is not conducted within two hours, the employer should continue to make an effort to have the driver tested for up to eight hours.  If a drug test is not conducted within 32 hours of the accident, the employer shall cease any attempt to administer a drug test.  If either test is not performed in the allotted timeframe the employer should prepare and maintain a record on file stating why the test was not administered within the allotted timeframe.

For more information on why post-accident drug testing is important and how it can help your business please feel free to contact us.

Conquer Addiction with Rapid Detox

June 20, 2014 Addiction, Drug Education, Drug Testing, Drug-free WorkplaceAdam BellLeave a comment

 

When speaking of rehab the first thing that usually comes to mind is detox. Chills, sweats, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea and shakes are all symptoms of detox. Not to mention the emotional and mental affects detox has.  What if you had another option to skip all of the horrible symptoms of detox? Well now you do.

There is something called the Waismann Method. This professional and private facility performs what they like to call Rapid Detox. Rapid Detox is a safer and more humane way to detox. During Rapid Detox you are put under moderate anesthesia in the ICU of an accredited hospital, and are monitored by an board certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist. The procedure lasts about 60-90 minutes. Every procedure performed, is tailored to each and every person individually. Patients who undergo Rapid Detox stay in the hospital after their procedure an average of 2-4 days. Waismann also offers an aftercare facility called Domus Retreat instead of the patient staying in a motel or hotel. Domus is private and the staff specializes in opiate addiction.

The price for the Waismann Rapid Detox and post care at Domus ranges from $15,800 to $22,800. This includes 5 to 10 days inpatient, private rooms, full professional care and supervision.  The Waismann Method has been practiced for over 15 years now with a very high success rate. Treating people from all over the world with customized care for each individual.

 

 

New Medical Device for Overdose Victims

June 20, 2014 Addiction, Drug Testing, Drug-free WorkplaceAdam BellLeave a comment

 

Loved ones of those struggling with drug addiction have a new tool to fight drug overdoses. The Food and Drug Administration this spring gave marketing approval to a new medical device that injects a different drug to counteract the effects of heroin and other opioids. The approval would give family members the ability to act quickly to save a life – even before medical help arrives.

When drug addicts overdose on heroin or prescription opioids, their heart rate and breathing can slow or even stop, causing death. While the addict experiences a euphoric effect, the drug is binding to receptors in the brain that control functions such as breathing. Many addicts die because they’ve stopped breathing. A different drug, Naloxone, can counteract opioids’ effects by blocking opioids from connecting to receptors in the brain. But historically, Naloxone has been administered by paramedics at the scene or by doctors in a hospital emergency room. When an addict overdoses, time can mean the difference between life or death. An injection given by a family member or friend who finds the addict can start the medical treatment right away. “When Naloxone works, the results can be dramatic: Comatose patients can wake up in minutes,” Dr. David Throckmorton, deputy director for regulatory programs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Re search wrote in a blog post following the agency’s approval of the device.

The new medical device, called Evzio, was developed by Richmond, Va. company kaleo Pharma. Evzio works more quickly and simply than standard syringes. The pre-filled device is the first of its kind for administering Naloxone, though it is comparable to an Epi-Pen, a different auto-injector that people can use to quickly administer epinephrine in the event of a severe allergic reaction. In order to deliver a Naloxone injection to an addict, the caregiver would simply need to hold the cell phone-sized device to the addict’s thigh. It even works over clothing.

The Drug Policy Alliance, a group that advocates on drug policy, reports that heroin deaths account for more than 26,000 U.S. deaths a year and the trend is rising. The group welcomed the device as an additional tool for administering Naloxone, also called Narcan. But the group said other delivery methods may be more affordable. The Drug Policy Alliance also cautioned that addicts who receive Evzio injections would still need professional medical attention and family members should call 911.

Evzio received FDA marketing approval in April – more than two months ahead of the expected approval decision date thanks to an accelerated approval process for products that fulfill unmet medical needs. Kaleo has not yet disclosed its timeline for launching sales of the device, which would be available by prescription. For more information on drug addiction issues contact us.

Drug Abuse in Senior Adults

June 6, 2014 Addiction, Drug Education, Drug Testing, Drug-free WorkplaceAdam BellLeave a comment

 

When asked to visualize a typical drug addict, people often imagine some misguided Millennial, glass-eyed and needle-scarred, wasting her youth and her body in an ignominious alley. Or they may picture an unkempt bum, swaddled in a mishmash of mismatched rags, swaying and slurring as he panhandles on a downtown sidewalk. They may think of an unfortunate veteran who never really made it back from the war, a musclebound thug covered in gang ink, or a greasy conman slithering in a smoke-damp barroom. Despite the fact that addiction does not discriminate, stereotypes remain.

In part because these stereotypes are so persistent, few people associate drug addiction with their grandparents. Nevertheless, statistics show senior citizens becoming addicted to anti-anxiety medications and opioids at an alarming rate. A study conducted by the Administration on Aging predicted a 100% increase in the misuse of prescription drugs by older Americans by 2020.

How did pain pills and benzodiazepines become trending drugs in the US, and why are seniors misusing them? An investigation by USA Today indicated that a combination of over-medication on the part of doctors and increased health problems among the elderly were major contributing factors. On the one hand, senior citizens undergo more surgeries and struggle with more anxiety disorders than the rest of the population. On the other hand, some doctors seem entirely too willing to rely on frequently abused prescription medications to treat these patients’ ailments. In the last five years, opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions for people 65 and older have risen by 20 and 12%, respectively, according to USA Today’s findings.

Another part of the problem may stem from the fact that Baby Boomers comprise much of today’s senior-citizen population. The Boomers’ proclivity for drug use in the 1960s and ‘70s may have predisposed many of them to drug-seeking behavior in their later years. Moreover, groups such as the Administration on Aging and The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence agree that doctors are more willing to write prescriptions – including prescriptions for controlled substances – for older patients.

Fortunately, treatment is available for seniors who struggle with substance abuse: Some rehabilitation centers focus on or work exclusively with the elderly population. Open communication and drug screening can help seniors and their families to identify the problem and find the help they need.

Opiate Addiction and Treatment

May 15, 2014 Addiction, Drug Education, Drug Testing, Drug-free WorkplaceAdam BellLeave a comment

 

 

What is Opiate Drug Addiction and How is it Treated?

Opiate drug addiction can occur when pain medication prescribed by a physician are abused and taken in dosages beyond the prescribed amount. It can also occur when a person takes illegal, recreational narcotics, such as heroin.

One of the big problems with opiate drug addiction is that the addict’s ability to produce natural pain killers, called endorphins, is suppressed by blocking pain receptors that causes them to be produced. The addict is more prone to pain, which caused him or her to seek more drugs to suppress that pain, setting up a vicious cycle. Without treatment the addiction can result in overdose followed by death.

Addiction can result from prescription pain killers in some cases. Someone is prescribed an opiate, such as Vicodin or Oxycotin to handle a sports injury and find him or herself still taking the drug long after the initial injury has been healed, thanks to the vicious cycle of pain followed by more medication followed by more pain. Prescription drug addiction has become a major problem, according to the Department of Justice. It is estimated that 36 million Americans have abused prescription drugs, including opiates, at least once in their lives.

According to WebMD, withdrawals from opiate drug addiction can be hard to endure and is a leading cause of relapse. During a gradual detoxification program, certain drugs, such as methadone, are used to suppress the drug craving symptoms without providing the euphoria related to opiates. The dosage of these drugs is gradually decreased as the patient is freed from the physical dependency to the drug. There are also rapid detoxification procedures that involve the patient being given powerful opiate blocking drugs while being placed under general anesthesia. This procedure is not considered more effective than the more traditional kinds of detox and can be more dangerous.

For more information contact us!

Barbiturates 101: What you need to know!

May 15, 2014 Drug Education, Drug Testing, Drug-free WorkplaceAdam BellLeave a comment

 

Overview

The barbiturates (“downers”) class of drugs are central nervous system (CNS) depressants known as sedative-hypnotics. In small doses they reduce anxiety and induce sleep, while larger doses can bring on unconsciousness and even death. Throughout the 1960s and1970s barbiturates were widely prescribed for insomnia, but they have been replaced by benzodiazepines—such as Xanax and Valium—as these are much safer.

The common drugs in this class are Amytal Sodium, Butisol Sodium, Luminal, Nembutal Sodium, Phenobarbital and Seconal. The drug methaqualone, marketed as Quaaludes, is a barbiturate-like sedative-hypnotic initially developed as a “safer” alternative to barbiturates, but is not technically a barbiturate itself. Barbiturates are considered to be a dangerous class of drugs because the dose that causes sedation is perilously close to the dose that causes coma and death; this is referred to as a low therapeutic window.

Effects

Barbiturates are abused for their inebriating and euphoric effects; many people describe the “high” of low doses as similar to that of mild alcohol intoxication. Less desirable effects can include memory loss, impaired thinking and respiratory depression, which can progress to respiratory arrest and death.

At higher doses a person may exhibit slurred speech and loss of coordination similar to the effects of a high level of alcohol intoxication. Hostility and anxiety are common effects of larger doses, as is difficulty staying awake.

Signs and Symptoms of Abuse

When regularly abusing barbiturates a person may show signs of agitation and irritability, slurred speech and the inability to think clearly. Reckless and violent behavior are commonplace, as is drowsiness and dizziness.

Physical symptoms of barbiturate abuse include frequent infections, especially in the respiratory tract, decreased blood pressure, high fevers and kidney problems.

Incidence, Prevalence and Trends in Use

The use of barbiturates has been decreasing since the late 1970s. According to Science in Context, beginning in 2000 barbiturate use had declined so significantly that researchers no longer compiled separate statistics for the drug. Barbiturates were instead placed in the sedative category that included tranquilizers.

There is a dearth of statistical data for this class of drugs, but it is known that approximately 9% of individuals in the United States will abuse a barbiturate during their lifetime. Although some barbiturate medications are still prescribed to treat seizure disorders, overall use continues to decline.

If you’re interested in finding out more about barbiturates or other drugs, or if you have questions about drug testing, please contact us.

Drug Addiction: Don’t lose hope!

April 30, 2014 Addiction, Drug Education, Drug Testing, Drug-free WorkplaceAdam BellLeave a comment

 

 

 How can Drug Rehab/Treatment Help an Addict?

When you watch a loved one suffer through the different stages of addiction and see them struggle with staying clean and embracing a new life in recovery, you may think this will never be over.

Please do not give up. They can recover.

The addict in your life may not have found the right Drug Rehab/Treatment program yet. Or they may not be done with their days of using yet. Unfortunately, until they are ready to completely commit themselves to abandoning their old way of life, they will not be capable of fully investing themselves in what it takes to get clean and sober and actually take the first step on the road to recovery.

Frustrating is probably an understatement when describing the rollercoaster of emotions you, as someone who loves an addict, has experienced as you watch them engage in the selfish, impulsive self-destruction. The addict in your life may tell you they want to recover,  however, it may seem to you that this is not true.

Perhaps it would help you better understand the contradiction between their spoken words and their actions if you consider the definition of addiction.

“Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response,” excerpted from ASAM’s Short Definition of Addiction.

Hopefully this makes the stark reality that addiction is a chronic disease and the behaviors associated with it are not logical and often unintentionally hurtful. The addict cannot just stop using and magically recover no matter how much they want to or try. It does take a commitment on their part to invest in their future and manage the condition of their chronic disease. A network of support and the right Drug Rehab/Treatment program will help most addicts take the first step on the journey to recovery .

Please contact us to learn more about how to help the addict you love find a Drug Rehab/Treatment program.

Drug Testing in Athletics

April 10, 2014 Drug Testing, Drug-free WorkplaceAdam BellLeave a comment

Drug testing is a controversial topic in the athletic world. Across almost every athletic platform from professional baseball to the Olympics and even into youth sports, drug testing for PED’s and illegal substances is a necessary topic that needs to be addressed. The demand for the best athletes and the rewards available have led to a cultural shift where peak performance is a necessity; young athletes have to perform at a very high level to receive college scholarships, and the funnel narrows further for collegiate athletes to become professionals and earn contracts and endorsements.

This has led to a cultural shift that places a premium on athletic performance, especially in the physical foundations of athletes such as size, strength, speed, and endurance. Great skill is not sufficient in many cases to receive a scholarship or professional contract. For example, no matter their ability to make a jump shot, a basketball player who is too slow to get open or who cannot jump high enough to get their shot over a defender has a small chance of competing at the next level.

This hyper competitive arena, coupled with exponential advances in training and the supplement industry, creates a tempting and tantalizing situation for these young athletes to use performance enhancing drugs to improve their performance. For many athletes, regardless of their hard work they may just not have the genetics to earn a scholarship or especially a pro contract. It is certainly tempting to attempt to mitigate those circumstances by taking performance enhancing drugs.

However, the side effects can lead to poor health and can even be deadly. At the end of the day, drugs such as steroids are often banned because of the side effects they can have on the body and mind. It is dangerous for athletes, especially teenagers, to use these substances to increase performance. In addition, because these substances are not regulated with the same stringency as other harmful substances like alcohol or tobacco, it is often far easier to obtain them, which can lead to abuse and harmful side effects which can affect the quality of life for these young athletes and their families.

Drug testing is mandated and has become a well known topic for Olympic, professional, and college sports. However, it is not prevalent for youth athletes at the high school level or for aspiring athletes not currently involved in a collegiate or professional program. This is the next frontier and also where performance enhancing substances can potentially be the most harmful. Without strict regulation in this area for youth athletes, many high school programs will be seeking to have their students or athletes tested. It is estimated that most high school athletes use supplements to improve performance. While most may be harmless, like protein powders, many high school athletes will experiment and use performance enhancing supplements such as steroids.

High school athletic programs need to be proactive, and with help from labs such as MedScreens, perform drug testing for their student-athletes. In today’s athletic world the temptation to use these potentially harmful substances is too great to ignore, and parents, coaches and administrators need to be proactive.Contact us for more information on drug testing for athletes, MedScreens is a valuable resource to on this topic and can provide the services necessary to ensure a clean athletic program.

Synthetic Marijuana: What is it?

January 19, 2014 Drug Education, Drug Testing, Drug-free WorkplaceAdam BellLeave a comment

 

Synthetic marijuana/spice has caught some recent media attention due to reports of dangerous and even violent behavior from individuals who use it. These products contain dried, shredded plant material and chemical additives that are responsible for their psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. The component of cannabis that produces the desired effect is called THC, and synthetic marijuana is designed to magnify the effects of THC.

Synthetic marijuana has been on the market for a relatively short period of time and for many years it was available for purchase at gas stations, smoke shops and via the internet.  Frequent unwanted side effects have been reported and include vivid and frightening hallucinations, delusional thoughts or beliefs and psychological breaks with reality. Popular Science magazine also reports that some teenagers who have tried this drug have suffered seizures, strokes or even loss of eyesight.  The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has now designated the five most common chemicals used in making spice as schedule I controlled substances, making it illegal to buy, sell or possess them.  According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse manufacturers of Spice products attempt to evade these legal restrictions by substituting different chemicals in their mixtures, while the DEA continues to monitor the situation and evaluate the need for updating the list of banned cannabinoids.

What makes synthetic marijuana especially dangerous is that it lacks a substance called cannabidol that minimizes the negative effects of THC. Due to the likelihood of permanent brain damage or psychosis, habitual users of synthetic marijuana present a liability to companies that employ them along with posing a possible threat to themselves or others.

Along with “spice,” some other street names for this drug include “black mamba,” “K2” and “sexy monkey.” The variations in synthetic marijuana’s composition also make it very dangerous because there is no way of predicting how different individuals will react to it. According to the scientist who first developed synthetic marijuana for research purposes, recreational use of it is figuratively a game of Russian Roulette.  Spice products are popular among young people; of the illicit drugs most used by high-school seniors, they are second only to marijuana.

Past year use of illicit drugs by high school seniors 2012, Marijuana/Hashish 36.4%, Synthetic Marijuana 11.3%, Hallucinogens 4.8%, Salvia 4.4%, MDMA 3.8%, Cocaine 2.7%

It is still not known how the use of Spice may affect human health.  Many users have been taken to Poison Control Centers and the effects of using Spice could be serious and irreversible.   If you suspect one of your friends, family members or colleagues is using this synthetic drug, don’t wait!  Contact us now for further information about our instant or laboratory screening resources.