| Abstract: | The authors examine the limitations of employee drug testing as a method of improving productivity and safety in the workplace. Attempts to modify licit and illicit drug use, including prohibition, are briefly reviewed, and the importance of social setting is underscored. The authors discourage the widespread use of employee drug testing because of problems in interpreting the significance of test results, laboratory errors, and possible civil liberties infringements. They propose that work performance be evaluated as a more reliable indicator of impairment, and they identify behaviors often associated with substance use. Finally, a protocol is recommended for the procurement and management of samples, laboratory standards and certification, and interpretation of test results, when testing is determined to be indispensible. |
