Media Coverage

Quest Diagnostics has launched three new test kits for sexually transmitted diseases that consumers can order and purchase online directly, within the privacy of their own home. Research has shown that many people and some providers are reluctant to discuss STD screening and disease risks. Quest aims to circumvent this through its QuestDirect program, with its first at-home tests covering the most prevalent STDs in the U.S.—including HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomonas—and starting at $49 for an individual test. Completing the tests, however, still requires walking in to one of Quest’s patient service centers, including some in grocery stores and retail locations. The kits are now available in the continental U.S., with results available online typically within one week, the company said.

Office happy hours are getting a twist in states where recreational weed is legal, with employees celebrating the end of the workweek by lighting up or snacking on edibles. Most of these companies are in the cannabis business and have offices in pot-friendly states such as Colorado, California, and Oregon (recreational marijuana is legal in 10 states and Washington, DC).According to a recent survey by Drugabuse.com, one in five respondents said they've used marijuana recreationally in their place of work during work hours. A recent report by the clinical laboratory Quest Diagnostics found the number of US workers and job applicants testing positive for drugs has hit a 14-year high, with marijuana-positive tests leading the way.

The Coast Guard has a message for mariners about to smoke a joint or use CBD (cannabidiol) oil: Don’t risk your job over it — no matter where you live. The growing number of states where some form of marijuana is legal prompted the agency to issue a bulletin this week reminding everyone that marijuana is still illegal under federal law. Ten states and the District of Columbia have approved recreational marijuana for adults, and more than half of all states have OK’d medical marijuana. Marijuana topped the list of most commonly detected illicit substances among U.S. workers, a recent analysis by Quest Diagnostics shows.

With the increased legalization of marijuana, many businesses and politicians are reconsidering workplace drug testing. Though drug testing likely won't disappear forever, experts predict the scope of testing will decrease — and they say the type of testing should change. Earlier this month, a report by clinical laboratory Quest Diagnostics found the number of US workers and job applicants testing positive for drugs hit a 14-year high, with marijuana positivity leading the way.

The rate of positive drug tests for illicit substances among U.S. workers in 2018 reached a 14-year peak, with marijuana playing a significant role, according to the annual Drug Testing Index from lab services provider Quest Diagnostics. Researchers analyzed the results of more than 9 million drug tests. They found that 4.4% of the combined U.S. workforce (both the general workforce and employees who undergo federally mandated drug testing) tested positive – up from 4.2% in 2017 and 2016 and the highest since 2004, when the rate was 4.5%.