The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently announced that drug testing of federal employees now will include four semi-synthetic opioids. Brand names OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet and Dilaudid now are tested for, effective October 1. A SAMHSA survey from 2015 reported that 75 percent of adults 18 to 64 with substance abuse disorders are in the workforce. There were nearly 33,000 reported deaths that year due to opioid-related overdoses. Positive test results supported by valid prescriptions will not be reported.
