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 The NIDA 5 Drug testing in the United States started to become prominent in the late 1980s with the testing of certain federal employees and specified U.S. Department of Transporation (DOT) regulated occupations. Drug testing guidelines and processes, in these areas, are established and regulated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) which was formerly under the direction of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Regulations require companies that use professional drivers, specified safety sensitive transportation and/or oil and gas related occupations, and certain federal employers to test employees for the presence of certain drugs. These test classes were established decades ago and include five specific drug groups. They do not reflect all current drug usage patterns. For example, the tests do not include "synthetic opiates," such as oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone. The test does include: 1. Cannabinoids (marijuana, hashish) 2. Cocaine (cocaine, crack, benzoylecognine) 3. Amphetamines (amphetamine, methamphetamine, speed) 4. Opiates (heroin, opium, codeine, morphine) 5. Phencyclidine (PCP) While SAMHSA guidelines only allow laboratories to report results for their official NIDA tests, many drug testing labs and on-site tests also offer a wider set of drug menus. These tests can include synthetic opiates (oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone), benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, Restoril), meperidine (Demerol), fentanyl (Duragesic), propoxyphene (Darvocet), methadone and barbiturates (Butalbital, Phenobarbital). Hallucinogens other than cannabis and PCP are rarely tested for and can include mushrooms (psilocybin), LSD, and peyote (mescaline). Once a drug screen is positive, a confirmation test is usually done by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS). |
