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January 15 2014

The Logistics of International Collections

The most important aspect to remember when organizing a collection outside of the United States is patience. Workplace drug testing is so common in the U.S., many employers expect next day service. This is not the case in many countries across the globe, but the situation is changing.

As U.S. Multinational companies seek to implement standard drug and alcohol polices across all of their facilities, the network of collection sites around the world grows. More European countries are enacting drug testing legislation under Health and Safety regulations. But even as the drug abuse problem grows, there are still some countries where it is almost impossible to arrange for a drug screen collection.

Some of the hurdles to surmount when organizing a collection include: Type of collection - (urine specimens are recommended), Cultural differences, Time differences and seasonal and holiday variations, Language, Laws and guidelines, Lack of familiarity, Logistics - laboratories, collections (sites, mobile collectors), transport, test results, Cost of the collection, Payment to collection sites - sites will only accept payment in local currency, and Donors signing of chain of custody documentation. Another challenge with international collections is getting quality collections. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) guidelines are not followed outside the U.S. and there are some geographical areas that follow no particular collection guidelines at all. It 's best to adjust your process for each country.