❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding drug testing policies and practices within the Department of Health, including methods, frequency, results, and consequences of positive tests. The response indicates a lack of systematic testing and data collection.
AnsweredQoN 4491Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Given the prevalence and availability of synthetic urine, has the Department of Health changed how it drug test its own employees eg. shifting to hair analysis, or is Urine Drug Scan (UDS) still the most common method used to test staff? ? (2) How many Department of Health employees were drug tested during the following years: (a) 2014/15; (b) 2014/13; and (c) 2013/12? (3) How many employees returned positive drug tests during the following financial years: (a) 2014/15; (b) 2013/14; and (c) 2012/13? (4) How many drug tests in total of Department of Health of employees were undertaken during the following financial years: (a) 2014/15; (b) 2013/14; and (c) 2012/13? (5) Of these drug tests, how many came back positive for illicit drugs during each of the following financial years: (a) 2014/15; (b) 2013/14; and (c) 2012/13? (6) What is the ramification of a positive test, eg. does the Department have a zero tolerance or one strike, two strikes or three strikes policy? (7) Are any of the employees who have produced a positive drug test still working for the Department, if so how many? (8) Were any of these positive drug tests from surgeons, if so, how many positive drug tests were produced by surgeons? (9) Were any of the positive drug tests from anesthetists over this timeframe? (10) Given there is a market for ‘clean urine,’ both real and synthetic, has Department of Health changed any of the guidelines as to how urine samples and urine bags from patients are disposed to reduce the possibility of clean samples being on-sold, or supplied to other people for purposes other than what the urine was collected for? (11) Have any Department staff been caught for on-selling clean urine samples from patients during this timeframe? (12) Who undertakes the Department's drug testing of staff (eg. is it done in-house, by the ChemCentre, Pathwest or is it contracted out to another provider? and? (13) How many staff (if any) have been charged and convicted with stealing hospital pharmaceuticals during this timeframe?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
13 October 2015
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
35 days
(1) Department of Health has not changed how it drug tests employees. There is no systematic drug testing of employees within WA Health. There is no policy favouring one form of test over another.
(2-5) No consolidated data is available. There is no statutory or operational requirement to maintain a list of tests undertaken. Drug tests are done if deemed necessary, for example, as part of a disciplinary investigation. To collate the data would require manually traversing confidential discipline, conduct and personnel records held at health services.
(6) The ramifications of a positive test for illicit drugs would be managed in accordance with the WA Health Code of Conduct and WA Health Misconduct Policy.
(7-9) Refer to response for (2-5).
(10-11) No.
(12) There is no policy favouring one point of testing over another.
(13) One employee in 2013/2014 and two employees in 2012/2013 were charged with stealing or theft in relation to drug related matters. WA Health cannot confirm whether any of the three employees have been convicted.
(2-5) No consolidated data is available. There is no statutory or operational requirement to maintain a list of tests undertaken. Drug tests are done if deemed necessary, for example, as part of a disciplinary investigation. To collate the data would require manually traversing confidential discipline, conduct and personnel records held at health services.
(6) The ramifications of a positive test for illicit drugs would be managed in accordance with the WA Health Code of Conduct and WA Health Misconduct Policy.
(7-9) Refer to response for (2-5).
(10-11) No.
(12) There is no policy favouring one point of testing over another.
(13) One employee in 2013/2014 and two employees in 2012/2013 were charged with stealing or theft in relation to drug related matters. WA Health cannot confirm whether any of the three employees have been convicted.
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