Recommendations for the Reliable Detection of Illicit Drugs in Urine in the European Union, with Special Attention to the Workplace

The increase in the abuse of illicit drugs in recent years is a matter of growing concern within society. The most widely used technique for detecting the consumption of illicit drugs is that of urine analysis, usually referred to as drug testing, and the results generated can be used to establish if an individual has consumed drugs within a time period prior to the collection of the sample. Drug testing has been progressively extended from its original clinical setting, where results were utilised to improve the therapeutic care of the addict, to other sectors of society such as workplace safety, forensic science, prisons, insurance medicals, driving under the influence of drugs and anti-doping programmes in sports. In certain situations, when medico-legal implications have to be considered, a positive identification can have a serious impact on the individual's freedom and livelihood. The European countries have different approaches to the drugs of abuse problem. Consequently, each country has a different approach to drug testing and to the implementation of measures for ensuring the quality of