Clinical Laboratory Management

Abstract

On December 8, 1987, President Ronald Reagan quoted this Russian proverb as the opening statement to the signing of the Medium Range Missile Treaty with the Soviet Union. The English translation, “Trust but verify,” could just as well have been stated the previous year, when on September 15, 1986, President Reagan signed executive order 12564, Drug-Free Federal Workplace, launching the first widespread initiative to deter drug use in the workplace. One can reasonably argue that this maxim of trust and verify is a core principle for this new federal workplace drug testing program. Twenty-five years later, regulated (federal) and nonregulated (private sector) drug testing is commonplace in our culture. Clinical laboratory scientists (CLSs), whether they manage a federal laboratory or a private sector laboratory, may utilize their expertise and understanding of quality management to enhance the hiring process for their own employees as well as the institution they represent. While the human resources (HR) department sets the guidelines for the hiring process, the CLS manager can represent a vital quality and technical resource for the employer’s drug policy. After all, drug testing results are laboratory results, and who recognizes the need for quality laboratory results better than the CLS manager? Technical competence and quality assurance are the foundation of any laboratory. This is also true for any workplace drug testing program. Reviewing processes for workplace drug testing provides CLS managers an opportunity to understand how basic laboratory management skills can benefit their employers’ drug testing policies. The hiring of qualified laboratory staff and maintenance of a safe working environment for the laboratory are direct benefits of a well-designed workplace drug testing policy