This article outlines how Quest Diagnostics, a leading provider in diagnostic information services, conducted an analysis of nearly 10 million workforce urinalysis drug tests and found that there was a massive 633% increase in attempted tampering. The increasing rates of substituted or invalid specimens coincide with historically high rates of both general U.S. workforce drug positivity and post-accident marijuana positivity. These are the highest rates ever found in more than 30 years of annual reporting.
The alarming rise in tampering shines a spotlight on a glaring issue with urinalysis as a drug testing method. Its vulnerability to substitution and adulteration creates difficult challenges for maintaining accurate and trustworthy results. As more ways to manipulate the system become more easily accessible, the reliability of urine-based testing continues to diminish, degrading its effectiveness in safeguarding workplace safety and compliance. Saliva-based drug testing may be a universal solution to this growing problem by offering a tamper-resistant and more reliable alternative.
