Final Federal Workplace Drug Testing Guidelines Allow Broader Use of Urine Specimen Testing

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today published a Final Notice of Revisions to its Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (Guidelines). The Guidelines establish the scientific and technical guidelines for the Federal workplace drug testing programs and establish standards for certification of laboratories engaged in drug testing for Federal agencies by addressing the collection and testing of urine specimens, the requirements for the certification of Instrumented Initial Test Facilities (IITFs), and the role of and standards for collectors and Medical Review Officers (MROs).

The final revisions to the Guidelines announced today in the Federal Register are based on proposed 2004 revisions which emphasized the important role testing of urine specimens plays in the deterrence of substance abuse in the Federal workplace. The final revisions incorporate tests for a broader range of illicit substances, and establish new procedures for ensuring the reliability and accuracy of urine drug testing.

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