Relation of the pre-employment drug testing result to employment status: a one-year follow-up.
All employees hired over a six-month period at a large hospital underwent pre-employment urinary toxicology screening. Results of the screening were kept confidential. After a year of employment, the personnel folders of all employees studied were reviewed. Twenty-two of 180 employees (12%) had tested positive for drug use. Employees in clerical/aide positions were significantly more likely to test positive than were employees in professional positions (17% vs. 6%). Drug-positive employees were also more likely to be young and male. Comparison of job performance variables, job retention, supervisor evaluations, and reasons for termination showed no difference between drug-positive and drug-negative employees. Eleven drug-negative employees were fired during the study; no drug-positive employee was fired. There was a strongly significant difference between clerical and professional employees on each of these variables. This study did not find a relation between drug use and job performance. The widespread use of drug screening prior to employment makes further studies of this issue important.
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Department of Internal Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia 31201.
D000328:Adult; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010559:Personnel Management; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000652:urine; D010808:Physical Examination; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013997:Time Factors
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations