That’s right: Prescription drug abuse is more dangerous than illicit drug abuse. In Australia, the ice epidemic may be hogging the headlines, but according to the Australian Medical Association (AMA), prescription drug abuse is killing more people. In fact, says the AMA, prescription drug abuse is a national emergency already.

Why is prescription drug abuse more dangerous than illicit drug abuse? Listed below are 12 reasons, some of which may come as a complete surprise.

There are many kinds of prescription medication, and some of the most widely-used are opioids such as fentanyl and oxycodone. However, not too many people know that opioids are basically pharmaceutical-grade heroin legally produced in a laboratory, and that makes them as highly addictive as their illegal cousins being sold in the streets. Opioid abuse can easily become an opioid addiction, and with prescription drug addiction comes a host of other bigger problems.

The thing with prescription drugs is that they are highly regulated, and these regulations state that it would be illegal to purchase them without a doctor’s prescription. That, however, is not a problem with the Internet. Do a search for “no prescription online pharmacy”, and you’ll see a host of websites that are only too willing to sell you any prescription drug you want, without a doctor’s say-so.

What do Xanax, Oxycontin, cocaine and opium have in common? They are all listed as Schedule 8 drugs in Australia. This means they all have a high potential for abuse, and that abusing them may lead to severe physical or psychological dependence.

Many of the synthetic drugs available as prescription medication have very high potency, and this creates a high overdose risk. One such drug is Zohydro, an opioid analgesic. According to a CNN report, Zohydro is five times more potent than most prescription drugs on the market.

Earlier this year, a Victoria coroner told attendees at a medical conference in Melbourne that of the 384 overdose deaths investigated by the Victorian coroner’s court in 2014, prescription drugs are involved in 82% of those deaths. This isn’t really a surprise because, as mentioned in the previous item, many prescription drugs really do pack a potent punch.

Of the many types of prescription drugs, narcotic painkillers are the most addictive owing to their heroin-like properties. They make a person feel no pain, sedated and euphoric. Unfortunately for that person, he or she will also be experiencing nausea, vomiting, constipation, itching, slurred speech, confusion, and shallow or slow breathing. They are also prone to long-term damage to muscle tissue and other vital organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys.

Technically, all drugs could interact with other drugs. The danger of adverse interactions for prescription drugs, however, is even worse. This is to be expected, considering that the ingredients of prescription drugs are often more potent than over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. To make things worse, there are people who mix prescription drugs and alcohol, a rather dangerous combination if there ever was one.

Our very own Heath Ledger is a prime example for the deadly effects of adverse drug interactions. The Oscar-winning actor died after taking a deadly mix of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine.

This is basically driving home the earlier point that prescription drug abuse and addiction is already a national emergency. According to the United Nations 2014 World Drug Report, Australia ranks second in the use of opioids such as codeine and morphine. Given the highly addictive nature of opioids, it wouldn’t be surprising that many Aussies are already suffering from painkiller addiction.

The government’s campaign against ice is laudable, but our authorities should realise how deadly (or even deadlier) prescription drug abuse is becoming in Australia. Prescription drug abuse in Australia is a problem that needs to be addressed, since it is already proving to be worse than illicit drug abuse. Employers also need to take steps like Drug-Safe induction programs to educate their workforce on the downsides of prescription drug abuse.

Safework Health is a national provider of occupational health and safety services. We specialise in instant drug and alcohol testing, laboratory drug testing, drug and alcohol courses and policy development.

Ask us how we can help keep your workplace safe from the dangers of prescription medication.

An employee who is hooked on drugs is very likely to suffer from poor work performance. Low productivity, loss of focus, frequent absences and tardiness are common among drug-addicted workers, and this fact alone can already cost employers a lot of money.

That employee’s personal hygiene also takes a dive. Drug addicts tend to show up for work looking rather unkempt, unshaven, inappropriately dressed and with bloodshot eyes. Also worth monitoring is their behaviour, as they often manifest mood changes, irritability and excessive chattiness in some cases.

The drugs they take also make them uncooperative, argumentative and accusative, and their personal relationships often suffer because of these. In some cases, they become aggressive or violent, particularly when their drug of choice is a stimulant like cocaine or ice.

It goes without saying that drug addiction takes a major toll on one’s health. While different drugs have different effects, they all cause damage to the human one way or another. Here are some major negative effects of drug addiction on one’s health:

• Cardio-vascular problems
• Renal problems
• Liver issues
• Heightened anxiety or panic attacks
• Psychosis
• Memory or attention loss
• Severe depression
• Significant weight loss
• Sexual problems (including impotence)
• Dental damage
• Scabbing
• HIV (through sharing of needles among heroin users)

Every workplace would be better off by making an effort towards drug policy development. This policy should include a drug testing program, as it is the only way to objectively learn if an employee is a drug addict. The signs of drug addiction listed above might help, but always keep in mind that they could still be signs of problems other than drug addiction.

Dealing with drug addiction in the workplace will take some patience and finesse, especially when the employee in question has not really endangered anyone at work—yet. HR officers and office managers have to tread lightly because it could lead to certain accusations and subsequent complaints that the business does not really need.

If you suspect an employee to be a drug addict, don’t go confronting that employee on the spot with your suspicions. You need to observe the employee first, and take notes. Keep a record of that employee’s absences and tardiness, inability to meet deadlines and incidences of low productivity. If that employee gets involved in incidents like intense arguments with co-workers or anything similarly uncomfortable, write it down as well. If possible, keep your observations objective, and there should be no references to any suspicion of drug addiction in your notes.

When you feel that you’ve seen enough, talk to the employee about your notes, will come in handy as a reference point. It would be good if your talk leads to a confession about a drug problem. However, if the employee denies everything, it would then be wise to recommend a drug test, and this is where the established workplace drug policy comes into play.

This is the biggest danger of showing up at work drunk, especially when the drunk worker operates heavy machinery, drives vehicles for the company, or is assigned to any safety-sensitive position. An intoxicated person at work is highly likely to get involved in workplace accidents, and that makes them a danger to themselves and everyone else in the workplace. Without a drug safety program in place, workplace healthy and safety could be compromised.

Alcohol affects people in so many ways. Making them less inhibited is one of those effects. As such, people under the influence of alcohol are more likely to take risks not only with what they do, but also with what they say. They could get very offensive in words and in deed, which, in turn, could get them into physical altercations at work.

Alcohol impairs a person’s ability to make sound decisions and judgments. When employees show up at the office drunk and are actually allowed to get on with their jobs, the quality of the work that they do is at serious risk.

With their decision-making ability seriously impaired, employees who work while drunk could make grievous errors in their work, whether it involves numbers, design elements or simple written communications and reports.

A drunk person at work can also be a problem should he or she picks up the phone when a client calls, and proceeds to talk to the client the way you’d imagine a drunk person to talk on the phone. A business could lose clients this way, which is something employers would do their best to avoid.

Let’s assume that a drunk employee wasn’t prevented from drunkenly talking to a client, and that client got so enraged that he or she decided to terminate his or her business with that organisation. It is very likely that that very angry client will talk to other people about the reason business ties with a certain company were severed. Whatever the intention of the client talking about that incident, you can be sure that all that talk can only serve to tarnish the reputation of that very organisation. It goes without saying that a business with a ruined reputation is going to have a hard time finding new clients.

Drunkenness in the workplace should never be allowed in any way, shape, or form. That’s why every workplace should have a clear workplace drug and alcohol policy in place so that any problem that stems out of a worker’s drunkenness can be dealt with swiftly and effectively.

To be clear, handling cases like this at work is harder than it seems. After all, once an instance of being under the influence of alcohol is reported to management, you are essentially helping put the job of your colleague—who could be a friend—in jeopardy, especially when the company has a clear-cut workplace drug and alcohol policy in place.

Then again, things could get worse by not doing anything about it. A drunk colleague could end up harming someone else at work, and that will be on you because you just stood idly by and let a colleague impaired by alcohol go about his or her duties.

Before you do anything, make sure your colleague is indeed drunk.

Fortunately, the signs that a person is drunk are quite easy to spot. Slurred or rambling speech, glassy or red eyes, stumbling, and the smell of alcohol on their breath all point to intoxication. If you’re friends with your colleague, you might want to talk to him or her about it, but the best way to go about it is to refer the matter directly to Human Resources, who are presumably more equipped to handle cases of drunkenness at work.

Typically, HR officers go for a disciplinary response, especially when there has always been a drug and alcohol testing program in place.

More often than not, workers found to be drunk at work are reprimanded, suspended, or in the case of workers in safety-sensitive jobs, summarily sacked. However, many HR officers actually give a more compassionate response a try. They sit the concerned employee down, and speak to them alone, usually opening with a question asking them how they are. To make themselves clear, they will tell the worker that there are some concerns, and that’s why they are asking about things. Usually, they have observable data in hand, such as work errors and attendance records that prove absenteeism.

If the worker admits to having a drinking problem, management can offer help such as counselling, or even the chance to take a sick leave to recover or get a doctor’s appointment. On the other hand, if the employee goes the denial route, HR officers can opt to recommend an alcohol test, especially when there is reasonable suspicion that the employee is under the influence at work. If a workplace drug and alcohol policy is in place, an employee will be dealt with in accordance with that policy if and when the alcohol test returns a positive result.

Alcoholism in the workplace is an issue of grave concern, as alcohol is proving to be even more dangerous than illegal drugs. Far too many workplace accidents have been caused by drunkenness. It should be dealt with immediately, because the consequences of not facing it could be much, much worse.

Safework Health has helped thousands of businesses across Australia protect their workplace from drug and alcohol abuse and misuse.

Contact us today to find out how we can support your business.

More often than not, prescription medications are obtained legally. A patient may have a medical condition, and attending physicians have an obligation to prescribe medication that will alleviate symptoms such as pain. The problem with pain relievers, especially the powerful ones, is that most, if not all of them are opioids which can be a hazard in the workplace.

To alleviate pain, opioids interact with pain receptors located in the brain and spinal cord. However, while opioids are effective painkillers, they come with side effects that could put people in the workplace in danger, particularly if the employee concerned is tasked with driving a vehicle or working around machinery. The more common side effects of opioids include drowsiness, dizziness, and nausea. Apart from opioid painkillers, other commonly prescribed medications with side effects that could impair a worker’s ability to concentrate include antibiotics and antidepressants.

Then again, not all people who take prescription medications do so to relieve symptoms. Prescription medication abuse is one of the fastest growing drug problems in the world, and it’s highly likely to be a growing problem in the workplace as well.

As previously stated, dealing with prescription medication use or abuse in the workplace can prove to be really tough simply because traditional drug testing does not really test for prescription drugs. A typical drug test is limited to detecting marijuana, amphetamines, phencyclidine, cocaine, and opiates. Prescriptions opioids like hydrocodone, oxycodone, and hydromorphone as well as antidepressants like benzodiazepines are not detected by regular drug tests, and therein lies the problem for many employers.

For employers, the best-case scenario when it comes to addressing a prescription medication issue in the workplace is for employees to voluntarily disclose their medical condition and the prescription medications that go with it. This way, an employer can make personnel decisions around it, like transferring the employee concerned to another post that is not safety sensitive. Addressing this issue, however, can still prove to be a minefield, as employees who use prescription medications might raise privacy issues. That’s why it is absolutely necessary for an employer to consult their human resources professional and/or legal counsel before doing anything.

Typically, HR officers go for a disciplinary response, especially when there has always been a drug safety program in place. More often than not, workers found to be drunk at work are reprimanded, suspended, or in the case of workers in safety-sensitive jobs, summarily sacked. However, many HR officers actually give a more compassionate response a try. They sit the concerned employee down, and speak to them alone, usually opening with a question asking them how they are. To make themselves clear, they will tell the worker that there are some concerns, and that’s why they are asking about things. Usually, they have observable data in hand, such as work errors and attendance records that prove absenteeism.

If the worker admits to having a drinking problem, management can offer help such as counselling, or even the chance to take a sick leave to recover or get a doctor’s appointment. On the other hand, if the employee goes the denial route, HR officers can opt to recommend an alcohol test, especially when there is reasonable suspicion that the employee is under the influence at work. If a workplace drug and alcohol policy is in place, an employee will be dealt with in accordance with that policy if and when the alcohol test returns a positive result.

Alcoholism in the workplace is an issue of grave concern, as alcohol is proving to be even more dangerous than illegal drugs. Far too many workplace accidents have been caused by drunkenness. It should be dealt with immediately, because the consequences of not facing it could be much, much worse.

If you’re going to be tested outside your place of work, make sure you bring a government-issued ID with you. Your driver’s license, passport, or any other identification issued by the government with your picture and legal name on it will do. This is to prevent drug users from sending someone else for the drug test in the hopes of passing the test. Remember, sending someone in your stead for a drug test is not just unsafe, but illegal as well.

It is important to know which drug testing method will be used so you can prepare for it in case it’s a method you’re not completely comfortable with. Since workplace drug testing is typically mandatory and you couldn’t just refuse a drug test without risking your employment, you could at least prepare yourself mentally if you know the method to be used in advance. Testing methods include, but are not limited to, hair, urine, saliva, and blood testing.

The reasons for the workplace drug test vary from one employer to another. Some do it to make sure everyone adheres to an established workplace drug policy. Other get it done to detect impairment at work. There are also employers who conduct pre-employment drug screening to make sure they don’t hire a drug abuser. Other reasons include employer liability, return from leave, or simply a change in company policy.

When you’re in the testing area, it is very important that you listen to the certified collector who is conducting your test. If you fail to cooperate during the collection or testing process, you could be tagged as someone who refuses to be tested, and that could get you in trouble.

More often than not, you’ll be asked to empty your pockets and remove your outer clothing. To avoid this inconvenience, it would be best to bring as few items as possible into the specimen collecting area. Nonetheless, if you have extra items with you on the day of the test, they will be secured by personnel of the testing site, and will be returned when the specimen collecting process is already done.

Drug testing is now a common practice in many workplaces that have made drug policy development a priority, and rightly so. For all the issues that its opponents have thrown against it, workplace drug testing remains the best way of determining impairment among its workers, and it has proven to be instrumental in the prevention of countless workplace accidents. With workplace drug testing, employers have been able to make their workplaces healthier and safer for everyone.

What do you intend to accomplish when you implement a workplace drug policy? Do you want to catch those who come to work impaired by drugs? Do you want to be able to identify who are drug users in general among your employees? Are you planning to conduct pre-hire testing to make sure you don’t get to hire a drug user? These are the questions you need to consider and think about.

While pre-hire testing is easy and implementing it can be relatively inexpensive, regular drug tests for current employees can be costly, so make sure you have the budget for a consistent implementation of your workplace drug policy before actually implementing it.

When you are done with drug safety policy development, make sure you communicate it clearly to everyone within the organisation.

For a small business owner, conveying the drug-free workplace message quickly and clearly can be easily done. All they need to do is implement an education and awareness program which will explain not only the pertinent details of the entire workplace drug policy, but also information on the adverse effects of drug abuse in the workplace.

Managers and supervisors can undergo drug training programs that will help them communicate the drug policy to everyone as clearly as possible.

Talking to your lawyers and getting them to review every single word of your workplace drug policy is perhaps one of the most important steps you have to take before its implementation.

Remember, all your employees have rights, and if they feel that your workplace drug policy has violated those rights in any way, you might find yourself at the receiving end of a lawsuit.

That’s why you need to make sure that the workplace drug policy is airtight and that your workers have been thoroughly educated about it. Using reasonable methods, following established testing procedures, and doing the tests right will also help you avoid litigation, which will always be costly no matter what the outcome.

The hair follicle drug test process is a simple and painless one.

A staff member of the drug testing company contracted by an employer to perform hair drug testing will cut a lock of hair of around 200mg from the crown of a person’s head.

The number of hair samples that will be taken will depend on the number of tests required.

Before taking the samples to the laboratory, the paperwork on them will have to be completed, so the employee being tested should make sure that all procedures relating to the chain of custody of the hair sample are followed to the letter.

Testing will begin once the samples reach the laboratory. The test will focus on establishing if drug metabolites, which are the parts of the drug that the body produces after consuming any substance, are present inside the shaft of the hair. The test will also try to establish the level of metabolites found in the hair. Drug use of up to three months can be detected with hair follicle drug testing.

Once the hair follicle drug test is done, a report will then be written up which will be reviewed and validated by the contractor’s toxicology expert. The results will then be sent securely within 3-7 working days upon receipt of the samples. However, it might take longer than that if the samples are being tested for complex drugs.

Hair drug testing, while an accurate way of testing for drug use, is not without issues. There are people who question its ability to detect and measure current drug use, for one.

As stated above, hair drug testing can detect drug use of up to three months. That means a person who last used drugs a few months ago may still test positive for substance abuse at work today. The metabolites stay in the hair that long, and shampoos cannot take them out.

Since most workplace drug tests are focused on establishing if an employee is impaired while working, it would seem unfair if a hair drug test declares an employee positive for drugs that they had taken months ago.

Hair drug testing is just one method of drug testing at work that employers can implement for their business.

There’s urine drug testing, which is the most common workplace drug test of all. Employers can also choose saliva drug testing, which is done by performing oral swabs on subjects.

Whatever drug testing method you choose, you should ensure it will provide the best fit for your workplace drug testing goals.

Contact us today to learn more about our hair follicle drug testing services.

Of all the available drug testing methods out there, the most common is urine drug testing. It is logical for urine drug testing to be common, because metabolites—the structures produced by the metabolism of all substances ingested by the body—use urine as its main excretory route. Analytical methods used to detect traces of any drug in the urine include immunoassays, thin layer chromatography, gas spectrometry and mass spectrometry.

Urine drug testing may be the most common form of drug testing, but saliva testing is becoming more popular simply because it is less invasive. However, it seems that saliva drug tests should only be used to detect very recent drug use to ensure accurate results. One study, for instance, reports that saliva testing can only detect cannabinoids when the subjects have smoked cannabis only 4-10 hours beforehand.

The idea of hair drug testing is based on the premise that drug metabolites enter the blood vessels of the scalp, and the hair will filter them and keep them as a permanent record of a person’s drug use. Many people, however, object to hair testing because it does not measure current drug use. A person could have last used, say, cannabis a few months before, and still be found positive today because residues of the substance will remain in the hair for months afterwards, and no amount of shampooing can take them away. The fact that much of today’s workplace drug testing is dependent on whether an employee is impaired while on duty makes hair drug testing quite irrelevant. The considerable cost and the lengthy processing of the hair samples are also reasons why few employers use them for workplace drug testing.

The most expensive and invasive of all drug testing methods also happens to be the most accurate. It actually detects right at the time of testing the presence of the substance and its metabolites in the blood. The actual amount of drugs in the blood at the time of the test can also be measured by a blood drug test. However, its cost and invasiveness makes blood drug testing used less frequently.

Perspiration drug testing is perhaps one of the newer drug testing methods available today. It works through a sweat patch affixed to the skin for a period of 14 days. The patch is worn to detect the presence of drugs that a person excretes through perspiration. However, this method is more commonly used to monitor people on probation or those involved in child custody cases.

These are the workplace drug testing options available to employers these days. If you’re planning on implementing employee drug testing, be sure to study your options so you can pick which drug testing method perfectly serves your purpose.

In Australia, it is perfectly legal to conduct workplace drug testing at work. However, crucial to effectively enforcing it is establishing a workplace drug and alcohol policy beforehand.

Why? Because it is important that your employees are aware of the following:

• Reason for drug tests
• Who will do the testing
• Drug testing schedules
• How often the drug test will be carried out
• Drug test types
• Accepted blood alcohol limits
• What to do in the event an employee tests positive for drugs or exceeds accepted limit for alcohol
• Disciplinary measures for employees who will refuse to be tested

This is legally the only way to go about drug testing. The methods, frequency and consequences must be clearly stated. Every employee should be fully aware of these guidelines. Meanwhile, as an employer, you have to follow all of the things you’ve outlined in your drug and alcohol policy.

Similarly, if you update your processes, you must reflect the changes in your policy, inform everyone affected and have proof you have done so.

If you do not have a sound drug testing framework for your workplace, you simply cannot enforce any kind of drug testing. Even if an employee tested positive, you would likely not be able to apply any kind of consequences.

One of the best ways to do this is by teaming up with an experienced drug and alcohol testing service. Having a capable and reliable drug testing partner can help protect your company from liabilities related to workplace substance abuse. It can also make your workers feel more comfortable and trusting of your policy.