Nation’s First 100% Mobile Drug Testing Franchise Revolutionizes Testing In The Workplace

Tampa, FL -- (SBWire) -- 04/28/2010 -- Employee drug and alcohol abuse costs American businesses $81 billion each year in lost productivity. More businesses are cracking down by issuing random drug tests so their workplaces remain drug free. Testing is one weapon in the war against workplace drugs. Still, more than 70 percent of drug abusers hold jobs - that’s 9.4 million workers. One of them could be driving your children to school, flying your plane or sitting in the cubicle right next to you. So why is the system failing? And what can be done to fix it?

One entrepreneur says he’s created the solution with USA Mobile Drug Testing, the nation’s first ever 100 percent mobile drug testing franchise. No more time and productivity wasted sending a wayward employee or candidate off site to a drug testing facility. What’s to stop that employee from buying one of the many products on the way designed to throw off the drug test? Not to mention, this process can take several valuable hours.

“We have raised the bar and set a whole new standard for drug testing,” says Joe Strom, founder of USA Mobile Drug Testing, who got the idea for his company after relatives in law enforcement complained drug users were getting off scot free because there was no way to drug test on the spot. “We save employers time and money and take the heat off human resources because with one phone call, we come in and handle everything. Our operators are trained to become drug free consultants in the workplace. They train supervisors how to spot drug and alcohol signs and symptoms at work, plus they drug test with the highest level of accuracy and confidentiality. Companies also get lower workman’s comp rates for providing random, accurate drug testing.”

With USA Mobile Drug Testing, a trained drug and alcohol tester comes right to the workplace. There is no brick and mortar drug testing site needed. If a worker’s urine tests positive on the spot, the sample is packaged and sent to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) certified laboratory and results are sent to a doctor, called a Medical Review Officer (MRO). Once the doctor concludes the sample is either negative or positive due to illegal use, and after a personal phone conversation with the employee, the employer is notified.

USA Mobile Drug Testing is setting a new standard in the industry by providing the first-of-its-kind drug testing compliance training credential called the C-USAMDT (certified USA Mobile Drug Tester). USAMDT university courses are offered on line and in St. Petersburg, Fla. Every franchisee goes through a week of training to make sure they are trained, credentialed and well-qualified to provide accurate, reliable, compliant and confidential drug testing.

The Time Has Come for Mobile Drug Testing

Why mobile? A 2007 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found “significant vulnerability” in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) once highly regarded drug testing sites. DOT tests all federal workers including bus drivers, pilots, flight attendants, railway workers, etc. The undercover DOT investigation of its own 24 drug testing sites found:

• A drug user could send someone to take a drug test in their place using a fake ID.
• 22 of the 24 sites did not adequately follow protocol. 75 percent of the urine collection sites failed to restrict access to items that could be used to adulterate or dilute the specimen, meaning running water, soap or air freshener was in the bathroom during the test.
• DOT undercover investigators used drug masking products and every one of them went undetected by the drug screening labs. The investigation concluded that “a drug user would likely use these substances to obtain a passing result on a test.”

The DOT has since made drug testing rules more stringent, but Strom says not soon enough.

“If government drug testing sites that test our school bus drivers and pilots were flawed, then the time has come for a better, more efficient way to do it,” says Strom. “We will ensure through our training and ongoing internal and external audit process that C-USAMDT technicians are meeting all compliance measures and providing reliable, accurate service.”

USA Mobile Drug Testing eliminates error that can happen at drug testing sites because:

• Drug testers come right to the workplace to randomly test so employees don’t know in advance that they’ll be tested.
• Testers are trained to take precautions that prevent tampering through drug masking products.
• USA Mobile Drug Testing will conduct ongoing audits to make sure franchisees are following all rules and protocol they learned in the USA Mobile Drug Testing University courses to eliminate all procedural error.

Great Business Opportunity

USA Mobile Drug Testing founders are looking to expand the business nationwide and are seeking partners who want to own their own business. It’s a unique opportunity because owners work right out of their own homes. There is no brick and mortar facility requiring rent, and no special vehicle. Partners send all paperwork to the corporate office in Tampa that keeps all records for clients.

“This is an affordable business that is recession resistant,” says Doug Schadle, the franchise developer who’s selling the concept nationwide. “Plus, it’s an opportunity to help your community and become a leader in the crusade against drugs.”

USA Mobile Drug Testing is the first and only nationally branded franchise for mobile random drug testing. It was started in 2007 in Tampa, Florida by Joe Strom, a former corporate executive. The University and compliance side of the business is overseen by Sue Clark, MBA, C-SAPA, a world renowned consultant in the drug free work place industry. Strom started the business in Tampa and plans to have franchises throughout the country. USA Mobile Drug Testing provides drug and alcohol testing and related services for corporations (DOT and non DOT), government employers, athletes, schools, and more. USAMDT collects a variety of specimens including hair, saliva and urine, and performs breathalyzer tests. Some results are reported immediately, and lab results are typically available within 24 – 48 hours. All tests results are completely confidential.

FAST FACTS ABOUT DRUG USE IN THE WORKPLACE:

Workers who abuse drugs are:

• 10 times more likely to miss work than those who are clean and sober
• 3.6 times more likely to be involved in on-the-job accidents
• 5 times more likely to file workman’s comp claims
• 33 percent less productive
• 5 times more likely to cause injuries at work
• Responsible for 40 percent of industrial fatalities
*Source: American Council on Drug Education (http://www.acde.org)

Sobering Statistics
• More than 70 percent of drug abusers hold jobs (that’s 9.4 million people)
• One worker in four ages 18 to 34 has used drugs in the past year
• One worker in three knows of drug sales in the work place

Workplace Worries
US Dept. of Health and Human Services latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2007):
• An annual average of 8.2% full time workers aged 18 to 64 used illicit drugs in the past month and 8.8% used alcohol heavily in the past month.The highest rates of past month illicit drug use were found in the accommodations and food services industry (16.9%) and the construction industry (13.7%).