What is changing?

The Australian standard covering urine drug sample collection, storage and analysis,
was upgraded with the release of the AS/NZS 4308:2023 Standard in November 2023.
The standard incorporated a three-year transition period for testing agencies to make
the change, which must be completed by November 2026.

Safework Health will be transitioning to the new Standard commencing 1 March 2026,
and effective from 1 June 2026 will only be reporting test results in accordance with
AS/NZS 4308:2023.

What are the key differences between AS/NZS 4308:2023 and the old standard
AS/NZS 4308:2008?

Procedural changes

The Standard changes will have minimal effects on donor processes and specimen
collection methods. The changes are:

I. Informed Consent is given greater emphasis, and more explanation will be
given to donors (including access to written Informed Consent sheets)
regarding the collection process, their right to privacy and procedures for
challenging a confirmatory test result. Donors will be required to sign a
statement on the Chain-of-Custody form that they have read or had this
information explained to them.

II. The Acceptable temperature for urine samples has been expanded from
33 – 38 ◦C to 32 – 38 ◦C (other temperatures may be allowed depending on
site conditions).
This will decrease the number of sample integrity check failures and takes
better into account the effects of cold weather collections.
III. If a Not-negative sample is NOT sent to the laboratory for testing, the
entire collection process shall be reported as non-compliant with the
standard.

IV. Safework Health collectors will use new cups that accommodate the new
acceptable temperature range and incorporate the new cocaine screening
test cut-off.

Analytical changes

I. The Screening test cut-off for Cocaine Metabolites has been lowered
from 300 ug/L to 150 ug/L

II. The Confirmatory test cut-off for Cocaine Metabolites has been lowered
from 150 ug/L to 100 ug/L

Ref: AS/NZS 4308-2023 guide for clients

These changes will lead to higher cocaine use capture numbers, both in
screening and in confirmation. The previous cut-off levels were significantly
higher than those used internationally in Europe and US.

III. The Confirmatory levels for Benzodiazepines will now be set at 100 ug/L
for all compounds
This change will improve the accuracy of Benzodiazepine testing – more
samples screening non-negative on site are likely to be confirmed with
laboratory testing.

IV. If one or more parent drug(s) or related metabolite(s) are detected at
Confirmatory testing above the reportable cut-off (plus the
Measurement Uncertainty), other related metabolites (or the parent drug
if it is present in low concentration) will be reported even when below
the usual confirmatory cut-off.

This would mean that if a sample was confirmed positive for amphetamine, if
any methamphetamine were present in the sample below the normal
reportable cut-off it would be reported as well (so long as it is above the Limit
of Quantitation).

V. Oxycodone has been included as an optional urine analyte, with specified
cut-offs (100 ug/L for Screening, 50 ug/L for confirmation).

Reporting changes
I. ‘Non-negative’ test results will now be reported as ‘Not-negative’.
II. Disputed result reports will now be sent to both the donor and to the original
laboratory which conducted the test.

How should businesses respond to this change?

It would be advisable to review your current Alcohol and Drug Testing policy. Although
there is no time limit for clients to enact these changes, incorporating the new Standard
will ensure that your Alcohol and Drug Testing is defensible in a Court of Law.
Regardless of whether our clients have upgraded their policies Safework Health will still
accept bookings and perform Drug and Alcohol Testing, but after Safework Health has
transitioned to the new Standard, reports will be issued in compliance to the AS/NZS
4308:2023.

There will be no change to the core service we offer – in its fundamental’s
urine testing will remain the same, with only minor changes to the drug cut-off values,
strengthened privacy provisions for client/donor identity information and terminology.
All AS/NZS 4308:2008 references will need to be updated by November 2026 to
reference AS/NZS 4308:2023. The drug classes and the drug screening and
confirmatory cut-offs will need to be updated to the new Standard, and references to
‘non-negative’ results will need to be changed to the new term ‘not-negative’.

Ref: AS/NZS 4308-2023 guide for clients

If you require assistance in updating your Drug and Alcohol Testing policies and
procedures, or in the creation of educational material to inform your staff on these
matters, please feel free to contact us at Safework Health for a review.
Until the transition is complete across all referrals, all reports you receive will specify
which Standard the laboratory conducting the testing is accredited to for the
purposes of testing.

The Standard changes are important but have minimal to no effects on donor
processes and collection methods.

Behind the scenes, our Authorised Collectors have:
 Completed a course on how to perform collections against the new Standard.
 Received updated training materials discussing key changes, and
 Received updated policies, procedures and relevant paperwork.