Benefits Of Paperless DOT Drug Testing

Since 1989, DOT drug testing regulations have been set firmly in place. And until December 2016, there was a tedious five-part paper form to be completed as part of the submission process. Last year, National Drug Screening announced that DOT employer drug testing would be “going paperless”, meaning labs were approved by the Department of Health and Human Services to electronically process drug tests for employees. This is something that employers have been wanting for years, and technology finally caught up with industry demand in 2016.

While an announcement from eight months back may seem like a long time ago, companies are still newly implementing paperless DOT drug testing—and some are just now seeing the great results from the improved process.

Why It’s More Efficient

With paperless employer drug testing, there’s no need to order, store, or manage paper custody and control forms. The process goes as follows:

  1. The employer orders the drug test online.
  2. The employer emails their worker an online drug test collection authorization form.
  3. The worker takes this form to the collection site, or shows the order number on their smart phone.
  4. The collector uses the online collection wizard to complete the digital custody and control form, which includes capturing the signatures of both the worker and collector.
  5. The sample to be tested for drugs is sent to the lab.
  6. The results, copy-1 and copy-2 images are sent to the MRO.
  7. The MRO transmits the result to the employer.
  8. The copy-2 image is available to the employer electronically.

This makes the entire process easier, and also uses one system for each drug testing transition. This, combined with the elimination of hard-to-read handwriting on physical paper, creates an increased and improved program control.

The bottom line is that paperless employer drug testing provides clear and easy-to-read forms which include all of the data required for drug testing.

Everyone involved benefits from paperless drug testing, including the employees, the collection sites that collect samples, labs, the MROs, employers, and third party administrators. Here’s how…

How Paperless DOT Drug Testing Benefits Employers

The new electronic custody and control form helps the DOT drug testing process go faster for employers. They are able to pre-order the drug test, get results and updates in real time, and monitor every type of test (blood, urine, saliva, hair, sweat, etc.). By going paperless, companies also benefit from leaving less of a carbon footprint.

How Paperless DOT Drug Testing Benefits Workers

The new paperless drug testing process means less mistakes, as well as faster turnaround times. Pre-populated employee data and barcode scanners really speed things up, while ensuring everything is accurate and up to DOT standards. Workers will also have less wait time to get their results, and there are fewer collection errors, since paperless employer drug testing eliminates common mistakes that happen by utilizing pre-order registrations. There are also less spelling mistakes and less data entry mistakes. Besides this, the technology also protects employees’ privacy.

At New Era Drug Testing, we provide programs and training to businesses that need to be DOT compliant. If you’re currently trying to become DOT compliant and are interested in what we offer, please contact us with any questions!