The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced that there are still no approved laboratories for oral fluid drug testing. This notice, set to be published in the Federal Register, informs federal agencies about the certified laboratories and Instrumented Initial Testing Facilities (IITFs) that meet the standards for drug testing using urine or oral fluid.
Although the Department of Transportation (DOT) approved oral fluid drug testing for truck drivers on June 1, employers cannot implement this alternative method until HHS certifies at least two laboratories for oral fluid testing: one for primary samples and one for contested samples. Unfortunately, this certification has yet to be completed.
In its update published July 3, there are still no labs certified for oral fluid testing, HHS said. “At this time, there are no laboratories certified to conduct drug and specimen validity tests on oral fluid specimens,” the notice said.
Source: CCJ Digital
