Synthetic drugs pose hidden risk.

• Position: Workplace Drug Testing - Brief article

Though many employers have implemented workplace drug policies and screening, newer synthetic drugs are not typically detected by routine tests. Roughly half of employers do not screen for synthetic opioids in standard tests, and dozens of new psychoactive substances continue to emerge each year, points out a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, Md.

Moreover, four out of five employers observed a drug-related issue with at least one worker. Among the 87% of respondents who conduct drug testing, 91% screen for opiates, such as heroin and morphine, but only 52% test for synthetic opioids such as oxycodone, dilaudid, and fentanyl. More than half of all workers have used illicit drugs, and roughly 20% have done so in the past year. In total, nearly 29,700,000 full- and part-time workers admitted to past-year drug use, including 11,800,000 who misused prescription pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, or sedatives.

Synthetic opioids and other prescription drugs are not the only problem. A United Nations report notes that 644 new synthetic...