GETTING TO KNOW
BY ADINA YOUNG
Getting to Know Barry Sample, Quest Diagnostics
How did you get started in this industry? As I was finishing my
undergraduate studies in chemistry at Indiana Uni-
versity, I started working in the pediatric clinical chemistry lab at the Riley Hospital for Children at the Indiana University Med- ical Center. One of my first projects was de- veloping an HPLC method for measuring therapeutic drugs in blood, and I’ve been involved with clinical and forensic toxicol- ogy ever since. Aſter working full-time for several years in that laboratory, I went to graduate school in Pharmacology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, while continuing to work at the children’s hospital. Aſter earning my doctoral degree, I joined the pathology department faculty where I was responsible for seting up the Sports Medicine Drug Identification Labo- ratory that performed testing for the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. Te experiences at the hospital and university translated nicely to a variety of science and technology positions I’ve held during my nearly 22-year career at Quest Diagnostics.
What do you feel are the most important topics in this industry today? Tree topics stay on my mind almost
continuously. First, the use of prescription drugs by employees and their potentially dangerous impact on workplace safety. Second, ongoing legislative initiatives around the medical use and state-level legalization of marijuana, and finally, federally mandated drug testing changes allowing for alternative specimens and
electronic CCFs. Tese issues will con- tinue to challenge and create opportuni- ties for our industry.
The states of Colorado and Washington have recently legalized the recreational use of marijuana. What do you think this means for the drug and alcohol testing industry? Te increasing number of states, now
eighteen, that have passed medical marijuana statutes and/or “legalized” marijuana is some- thing that employers, and our industry as a whole, should be following. While marijuana is still a controlled substance under federal law and the statutory changes won’t impact the federally mandated (e.g. DOT) drug test- ing programs, private-sector employers may be impacted by these changes. In some states, employers are explicitly
permited to continue to have drug-free workplace programs that may include ad- verse employee action for marijuana posi- tives; other states are silent on the impact on employer testing programs. Meanwhile some outline specific employee protec- tions for “off-duty” use of marijuana. For example, in Colorado, the language specifically calls out that employers are not required to accommodate marijuana usage, while Washington and Massachu- sets are silent on the employer impact. Employers in the states with mari-
juana statutes should review their drug-free workplace policies to ensure that they are compliant with current laws and regulations. As an industry we need to continue to moni- tor this rapidly changing arena as we strive
to help employers maintain safe, productive and drug-free workplaces.
What are you looking forward to most about DATIA’s 2013 Annual Conference and Exposition in Orlando? Te DATIA conference is always one of
the year’s best opportunities to network and interact with colleagues and customers. Te 2013 event will be of additional significance for Quest Diagnostics, because it is the official kickoff of our year-long celebration of the 25th
anniversary of the Drug Testing
Index™ which examines positivity rates to provide a comprehensive analysis of work- place drug-use trends among three major testing populations: federally mandated, safety-sensitive workers and general work- force; and combined U.S. workforce.
Each edition of the DATIA focus will include a Q&A from a DATIA Board Member, Staff Person, Spotlighted Member or Course Instructor. It is our hope that this enables our readers to be better acquainted with DATIA and all of the people that help make it such a successful operation. Stay tuned each edition to meet a new industry peer!
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datia focus
winter 2013
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