Drug & Alcohol Services
Substance abuse is a growing concern for many organizations, and presents a significant degree of risk and potential liability for employers. To help employers ensure the health and safety of employees when it comes to substance abuse, Lifemark offers a comprehensive approach that recognizes the sensitive nature of these situations and addresses requirements for businesses of all sizes in both the private and public sectors across the country.
Lifemark’s experienced and highly trained staff are available for all drug and alcohol testing needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our services include random and post-incident testing, which complement other occupational health services such as pre-site access testing, pre-employment medical or functional testing, and other health screening programs related to substance abuse. We are also equipped to facilitate necessary assessment, treatment, and the overseeing of suitable maintenance and monitoring programs through our disability management services.
Our staff are certified in Department of Transportation collection procedures and we only use certified labs for sample testing, to ensure accurate results. Additionally, our Medical Review Officers have been certified to read, interpret, and follow up on testing results in order to ensure legislative standards are followed, compliance is achieved, and that the proper chain of custody procedures are strictly observed.
Service Offerings
This test is performed at the time of the specimen collection in order to determine if the sample is negative, or requires further testing. Non-negative POCT tests are forwarded to a lab for additional testing. POCT results are available same-day.
Lab-based testing is available for employers who must meet legislative requirements or their internal company policy. As well, in any case where a company uses POCT testing, all non-negatives must be sent to the lab for confirmation testing. Lifemark collects urine or saliva and then forwards to a Canadian-based lab accredited to confirm and release test results to our Medical Review Officers, who will follow up with the donor according to the DOT protocol. We will work with you to determine the best testing panel for your organization.
Lifemark conducts breath alcohol testing using a calibrated Breath Alcohol Testing device(meets DOT testing standards), which determines the amount of alcohol in the blood by measuring the alcohol in exhaled breath. If the test is non-negative, Lifemark conducts a second test to confirm the result. Testing is done in compliance with DOT standards.
Lifemark has MROCC-certified Medical Review Officers who receive all drug test results from the laboratory, and are trained and certified in DOT procedures. These MROs are available seven days a week to follow up on lab-based test results with the donor, make verification decisions, and release the results back to the company’s designated employer representative as quickly as possible once lab results are received. Additionally, Lifemark’s MROs are available to act as expert witnesses in a Court of Law.
Not every company has a drug and alcohol policy. As such, Lifemark is available to work with organizations and their legal teams to develop a policy applicable to their unique organizational needs.
Lifemark provides testing 24 hours a day, seven days a week for reasonable cause or post-incident situations. This includes if an employee reports for work in an unfit state, and there is evidence of substance abuse, or if a significant incident or accident has occurred. Additionally, our qualified and trained staff will work with employers to set up a protocol to address these situations.
Lifemark will work with employers to train supervisors on company policies, procedures and DOT standards related to drug and alcohol testing. These supervisors will also learn when they can test in relation to reasonable cause or post-incident scenarios, signs to watch for, and the scope of their responsibilities.
Lifemark’s depth of experience and access to collection sites across Canada provides employers with a number of benefits when it comes to workplace drug and alcohol situations. Lifemark provides:
- One central toll-free contact number
- Services available 24 / 7
- Same day reporting on POCT tests
- MRO Services within 48 to 72 hours of received lab results
- Coordinated service with your pre-employment or surveillance requirements
- Integrated with our full suite of Occupational Medicine Services