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Employee Drug Testing: Agency Costs May Vary From Earlier Estimates

NCJ Number
119495
Date Published
1989
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This document analyzes cost estimates for Federal agency drug testing plans.
Abstract
A 1986 Executive order required each executive branch agency to establish a drug testing program in support of a drug-free Federal workplace. Twenty agencies were provided with guidance for estimating drug testing costs by six cost categories: specimen collection, drug testing, medical review officer, supervisory training, employee education, program administration, and quality control. The total cost for the agencies averaged about $11 million per year. This analysis shows that guidance to departments specifying the dollar amount to use in estimating certain cost categories may not be indicative of the amount some departments will spend in those categories. Furthermore, the estimated program costs submitted for 12 civilian cabinet departments may differ from the actual costs that these departments will incur when their testing programs are fully implemented. Appendix.