Four Reasons to Outsource Drug Testing to a Third-Party Administrator

Posted: January 29, 2019

When deciding to implement a drug and alcohol testing program for your business, and you’re not certain if it is better to keep the program in-house or outsource drug testing to a third-party administrator (TPA), consider these four reasons for outsourcing from one of the industry’s leading experts.

Here are the top four reasons why you should outsource drug testing for your organization to a third-party administrator.

You have a lot on your plate already. You might be a business owner, safety director or human resource director and already have a lot on your plate when it comes to your everyday operational responsibilities. You may already have a team of experts on your staff who manage various aspects of your business. It would be worth your time to offload the responsibilities of your drug and alcohol program to a trusted TPA. The right TPA will help with any logistics of your substance abuse program(s)and/or occupational health program. You will have an expert in the industry who can manage your full program and gives you the ability to focus on your operational responsibilities.

Ensure the accuracy of your program. A TPA is also known as a service agent, which is a liaison between the employer (business), collection sites, testing lab and medical review office. TPAs are required to:

• Maintain all testing records for all required services (drug and alcohol and/or occupational health)
• Check the accuracy of all completed forms from collection sites, labs and reporting results
• Make sure there are no gaps in the workflow.

A TPA can resolve any issues before an employer receives any records, such as any missing services that weren’t completed at the collection site, a lab being unclear of the correct test code to use, or issues with the medical review office. A TPA will also make sure that your organization is compliant with the Department of Transportation (DOT) for every modality your company would need to comply with.

Maintain compliance with Federal, state and local laws. There are a lot of different Federal regulations and guidelines to follow, as well as state and local laws that are involved with drug testing and/or occupational health. Outsourcing to the right TPA will ensure your company will always be up-to-date with all federal, local and state regulation for your workplace.

Increase efficiency. Most TPAs have a network of collection sites that are available for your employees to complete their drug and/or occupational health services. Strong relationships have been built with these providers to ensure the quality of services is given to employees. Why manage multiple invoices from collection sites when the right TPA can consolidate the billing for you? The TPA will pay for the services on your behalf, and the right TPA will only bill you one monthly invoice to help you manage your records.  

Every organization and workplace are unique. Employers need to make careful considerations about the types of drug testing program they need for their business and ensure they are the most beneficial for your workplace. Info Cubic is here to help guide your organization to find the best type of program that fits your organization’s drug-free workplace. Give us a call today at 877-360-4636 or click here to get the conversation started.