Come the New Year, DOT Needs You to Test for Opioids

The Federal Department of Transportation (DOT) is getting with the times and adding opioid screens to its drug testing program. Specifically, providers who conduct physicals and assessments for the DOT will have to include hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone in their screens as of January 1, 2018.  In addition, methylenedioxyamphetamine has been added as an initial test analyte, and methylenedioxyethylamphetamine has been removed as a confirmatory test analyte. Adding the four semisynthetic opioids has been mandated by Federal statute, and applies not only to specimen testing validity values but also to initial and confirmatory testing values. The changes will bring the DOT’s testing regulations up to date with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Mandatory Guidelines that were revised earlier this year.