Drug News

Psychemedics vs Urine Testing

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Psychemedics vs. Urine Testing. Would You Risk Not Mediating An Avoidable Workplace Threat? Why did you start drug testing in the first place?  We bet it is because you know that habitual drug users bring risks to work with them every day. Psychemedics is trusted by the most recognized names in business to keep those ... Read more

Psychemedics + Urine Testing?

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Psychemedics + Urine Testing? More safety sensitive businesses are adding Psychemedics to drug testing protocols. Here is why. If you are considering a Psychemedics hair test vs Urine you are in good company. For example, J.B. Hunt extended their DOT-mandated urine testing program in 2005 to include a Psychemedics hair test. A urine test is ... Read more

A Growing Epidemic Inside The Pandemic

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CDC and DEA Cite a Growing Drug Overdose Epidemic Inside the COVID Pandemic   Record drug deaths create new and urgent challenges. Drug deaths in 2020 concern anyone who, like me, is a bit of a data geek. The most recently released CDC and DEA data paints a picture of a persistent epidemic. Beyond that, ... Read more

Cocaine and Fentanyl Don’t Discriminate When They Kill.

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Cocaine and Fentanyl Don't Discriminate When They Kill Athlete.  Drug user.  Casualty. Cocaine and fentanyl are a deadly mix. And in the case of Jimmy Hayes, we are reminded that it has no boundaries and does not discriminate when it kills. Jimmy Hayes, by all accounts, was an All-American boy, growing up with a passion ... Read more

Counterfeit pills threat leads DEA to issue alert

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DEA Alerts Public To Counterfeit Pill Threat Rising Supply and Rising Death Rate prompt a rare alert We are forwarding this alert regarding fentanyl because counterfeit pills-like counterfeit oxycodone pills made from it are the most urgent drug threat in the workplace today.  In fact, the data we collect suggests that we may already be ... Read more

CDC Estimates 93,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020

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CDC Estimates 93,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020 "Drug overdose deaths 2020" may sound glib. However, CDC data makes it official that 2020 eclipsed all previous records. As the Commonwealth Fund reports, with 93,331 dead the year was bad by any measure. Not surprisingly this comes on the heels of records in the two years ... Read more

Expect New Substance Abuse Challenges At Work

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Expect New Substance Abuse Challenges At Work The attached article from the Chicago Tribune highlights a workplace challenge that has not gone away during the COVID pandemic; in fact it has worsened. With the CDC reporting increases in substance abuse and 93,000 drug deaths, you should expect that some workers may return with new or ... Read more

Fentanyl Epidemic? 2021 could be the start.

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Fentanyl epidemic?  Probably. 2020 overdose deaths give a clue. Is a fentanyl epidemic taking shape? An article from this week's New York Times paints an excellent picture of how quickly the drug ravages a community. Fentanyl deaths and overdoses are on the rise. The message is clear that fentanyl is the dominant drug threat for ... Read more