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From: Robert Swotinsky MD
Date: 02 Dec 2004
Time: 16:08:11 -0800
Remote Name: 68.166.233.229
Consider using point-of-care (on-site) tests to screen out the specimens that are definitely negative. You'd then ship out the specimens that are presumptive positive to the same lab in the US that handles your company's state-side specimens. If your company's positive rate is really low, then almost everyone will get rapidly cleared for duty and few will be delayed while specimens are being shipped and tested state-side. The major couriers -- FedEx, UPS, etc. -- cover New Zealand and other parts of the world, though Antarctica may be an exception. If the company's policy requires use of a federally certified lab, then the specimens need to come state-side or the company needs to change its policy. There are no federally certified labs outside the US, though SAMHSA does recognize some Canadian labs as equivalent to US standards, but there's no advantage to sending specimens from near the South Pole to Canada instead of the US.