Adjustments to Federal Drug Testing Guidelines Proposed

NEW YORK- The Department of Health & Human Services is considering revisions to the federal drug testing panels, as detailed in a recent Federal Register publication. The proposed adjustments include the addition of fentanyl to the panel and the potential removal of MDMA (Ecstasy) and MDA. This proposal stems from the Fighting Opioid Abuse in Transportation Act, requiring the evaluation of substances like fentanyl for inclusion in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs.

The inclusion of fentanyl, a substance often linked with overdose deaths, involves testing for both the drug and its metabolite, norfentanyl, with a proposed detection threshold of 1 nanogram per milliliter. The rationale behind considering the removal of MDMA and MDA from the testing panel is their low detection rates, which suggest these substances are less prevalent in federal workplace environments.

Financially, the addition of fentanyl testing could result in annual costs ranging from approximately $9,139 to $192,850. In contrast, eliminating MDMA from the panel could lead to savings between $3,800 and $38,000 per year. Public feedback collected during the proposal’s review was largely supportive of adding fentanyl, with concerns about costs and logistics being relatively minor.

The public and regulatory stakeholders are encouraged to contribute feedback on this proposal. A final decision will be communicated through an update in the Federal Register following a comprehensive review and consideration of public and expert input.