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Welcome to the NDS Video Blog Series. In this video we're diving into the DOT 5 Panel Drug Test - what substances are included and why it’s become the standard for urine-based drug testing. All DOT-regulated employers must perform DOT drug testing using the approved DOT 5 Panel Drug Test, with testing performed at a SAMHSA certified laboratory. As a DOT-regulated employer, you’re required to drug test all DOT safety-sensitive covered employees. The most common examples are truck drivers, bus drivers, pilots, and railroad employees. You must follow the DOT regulations for drug testing, specifically 49 CFR Part 40. This regulation describes the required procedures for conducting workplace drug and alcohol testing for the Federally-regulated transportation industry. WHAT IS THE DOT 5 PANEL TEST? A common question we hear is, what is the DOT drug test? For many years, it was simply a 5 Panel drug test. And although there have been changes over the years, it is still called a 5 Panel drug test. The standard 5 Panel DOT test includes the following drugs: Marijuana metabolites, Cocaine metabolites, Amphetamines, Opioids, and Phencyclidine [PCP]. For the DOT 5 Panel drug test, we can break this down further, by specific substances and metabolites within the 5 categories: The Opioids panel includes Codeine, Morphine, Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, and 6-Acetylmorphine [6AM]. The 6AM is the metabolite of heroin. The Cocaine metabolite is called Benzoylecgonine. The Marijuana metabolite is THCA, which is the metabolite of THC - delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, marijuana’s major psychoactive ingredient. The Amphetamines panel includes Methamphetamine, Methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA], and Methylenedioxyamphetamine [MDA]. The drugs associated with MDMA or MDA are commonly called Ecstasy or Molly. One of the requirements that makes the DOT test, the DOT drug test, is the certification-requirement of the lab that tests the specimen. WHAT IS A SAMHSA CERTIFIED LABORATORY? The lab that performs the testing for a DOT 5 Panel test must be certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration [SAMHSA]. These labs must conduct DOT testing in ance with Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Transportation requirements. Examples of SAMHSA certified laboratories include Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp. SAMHSA maintains a web page of all SAMHSA approved laboratories. Now let’s talk about the 2 phases of the DOT-required drug testing process. WHAT IS SCREENING AND CONFIRMATION TESTING? The DOT drug test is a two-step process at the lab. The urine specimen is first screened using technology called immunoassay. This test is qualitative - meaning the test is either positive or negative. If the urine specimen is negative on the screening test, then the negative result is immediately reported to the Medical Review Officer. If the urine specimen is non-negative on the initial screening, then the specimen must undergo confirmation testing. The confirmation test utilizes high complexity instrumentation that yields a definite and specific result. Best practice for confirmation testing involves using either GC/MS or LC-MS/MS - which is either gas or liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. This test is quantitative - meaning the test measures drug concentration. This process will pinpoint the exact metabolite of the drug present in the urine at the time of collection. This positive result will be reported to the MRO for further review and verification. The Medical Review Officer is the one responsible for verifying and signing off on the final test result. DOT COMPLIANCE DRUG & ALCOHOL TESTING For additional information on compliance with DOT drug and alcohol testing, you can learn more on the National Drug Screening DOT compliance web page, at: NationalDrugScreening.com/dot-compliance. DOT programs from National Drug Screening are guaranteed to be compliant and will pass an audit. We hope that today’s video was helpful to you. If you have any questions after watching this video, we are a quick phone call away. You can also find much more information about DOT and Non-DOT drug and alcohol testing on our YouTube channel at DrugTestVideos.com and on our blog, at NationalDrugScreening.com/blogs. If this video was helpful to you in any way, hit that Like button and consider sharing it on social media, via email or even text message. To stay updated, be sure to subscribe to the NDS YouTube Channel.