Drug testing demand on the rise

Two well-known drug testing agencies have formed a collaborative partnership to open a new testing facility in New Zealand to combat the growing demand for drug abuse detection.

US-based Omega Laboratories and Australasian company The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) will open a state-of-the-art laboratory in Auckland later this year.

The TDDA Omega Laboratory Services facility will offer testing services for hair, oral fluid (saliva) and urine, as well as research testing methods to address the increasing diversity of synthetic drugs affecting many communities in the region.

“The last few years have seen tremendous growth in the drug testing industry worldwide,” said Kirk Hardy, CEO of TDDA.

“This partnership with Omega Laboratories offers employers in Australasia the benefit of having the fastest turnaround time in the industry in the region.”

Hair tests will be analysed to detect lifestyle drug usage with its longer detection period, while urine and oral fluid (saliva) tests will be used to detect recent usage.

Hardy claims that testing methods will be updated regularly to ensure they keep pace with illicit drug developments, and the lab will also include an extended pain management panel involving the many opioid medications that have significant abuse and addiction potential.

“TDDA’s philosophy is about creating drug-free environments and helping make not only the workplace, but also the community in general, a safer place to live,” Hardy said.

The partnership hopes to ensure a unified and streamlined approach to implementing faster drug testing programs for companies worldwide.

Omega Laboratories is currently accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 standards through the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and holds a College of American Pathologists (CAP) Accreditation for Forensic Drug Testing, as well as 510(k) clearances from the FDA.