In today’s environment, it can be easy for employers to question the continued utility of testing
for drugs in the workplace given increasingly complex state laws. Specimens such as oral fluid
offer a method that is scientifically sound and legally proven, while also balancing the needs
of employers in today’s complicated cannabis scape. This article will explore why oral fluid is an
excellent option for employers across the country, fitting virtually every workplace testing need.
What is oral fluid?
An oral fluid test is directly representative of what is in the donor’s bloodstream. This means that
drugs are detectable in oral fluid within minutes of ingestion, and the test looks for the parent
drug as opposed to the metabolite. Urine, for example, detects the metabolite and not the parent
drug, and only detects the metabolite several hours post-use.
As oral fluid tests look only at substances currently in the individual’s body (also known as the
parent drug), they are particularly useful when looking to determine recent use. Historically, oral
fluid has been a favorite for post-accident scenarios as it makes it easy to determine what drugs
were actually in an individual’s system at the time of an accident. With the increasing popularity
of cannabis, oral fluid has quickly become a favorite for employers looking to continue testing
despite state laws placing restrictions on employers in regard to THC metabolite detection.
A recent survey conducted by the Current Consulting Group found that 15% of employers used
instant oral fluid tests and 23% used lab-based oral fluid tests in 2023, up from 4% and 4% in 2021,
respectively. This rise is due to a number of factors, including COVID-safety related-protocols that
have continued post-pandemic, as well as the addition of lab-based oral fluid to the Substance
and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) mandatory guidelines for federal
employees and the Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) addition of lab-based oral fluid to
their rules. While both SAMHSA and DOT have approved and announced the addition of oral fluid
to their testing regulations, oral fluid is not yet permitted for SAMHSA and DOT positions as there
are yet to be the minimum required two approved labs for oral fluid specimen processing and
analysis.
