Drug Analyst Tagging Requirements

When I applied for a drug analyst position in an LTO-accredited, freestanding-based, drug testing facility in Mandaue City, I was asked to submit a couple of requirements for tagging.

A drug analyst must be tagged by the Deparment of Health to have an IDTOMIS account. The IDTOMIS (Integrated Drug Testing Operations Management Information System) is a software where you verify the client/donor’s information, take a photo and fingerprint then finally release the drug test result. You only have 1 account registered for 1 facility.

Here are the primary requirements:

1.       Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) license photocopy

2.       DOH-issued training certificate - Seminar/Workshop on the Manual of Operations for Screening Drug Testing Laboratories

3.       Email Address

4.       Resignation letter from precious employer (I used to work as a drug analyst in an institution-based facility. This is useful so that you’ll be untagged from the previous facility.)

5.       Drug Test Result – I had my drug testing in another drug-testing lab to avoid bias.

6.       Medical Certificate – they required a Government-issued med cert so I went to Cebu City Health Office to ask for the medical certificate.  I brought my CBC, Urinalysis, Fecalysis and X-ray result.

7.       2x2 ID picture – for employee profiling

On the employer’s end, they will submit a letter to be addressed to Department of Health together with the credentials asking for the tagging of the drug analyst. The approval may take as early as one week. Once approved, the drug analyst must submit to the Deparment of Health Regional Office- IT Deparment for confirmation and fingerprint scanning. You’ll be given your USERNAME and PASSWORD so make sure you take these correctly.

The tagging is as simple as that. Welcome to the world of drug testing!

Drug Testing 101: Observe Specimen Collection for Urine

Drug Testing 101: Observe Specimen Collection for Urine

Before we proceed to the steps, it is essential for the Authorized Specimen Collector to be oriented on the procedures to ensure proper specimen collection. He/She must be vigilant to minimize the risk of tampering the urine specimen.

1.       Prepare and secure collection site and supplies

a.       Make sure the waterless urinal is clean. 

2.       Verify donor identification

3.       Explain the basic collection procedure

a.       Instruct the donor to remove all unnecessary outer garments and put it in a secure tray or locker in the collection site. Perform bodily search.

4.       Verify donor’s ID

5.       Label the specimen bottle legibly

6.       Fill up Step 1 of CCF

7.       Pay close attention to collection

a.       Observe one collection at a time

b.      Check the volume and inspect physical characteristics

c.       Fill Step 2 and initiates Step 3 of CCF

8.       Let the donor wash hands thoroughly

9.       Close and apply seal over the lid bottle in front of the donor

a.       Sign over seal indicate collection date and time

b.      Ask the donor to fill up and sign step 5 of the CCF

Reference:

Seminar/Workshop on the Manual of Operations for Screening Drug Testing Laboratories Lecture Handouts 2016

DRUGTESTING 101: What to do when there's no Collector or Head of Laboratory shown in Specimen Collection or Initial screening

Can't see the ASC or Head of Lab's name when you reach the specimen collection or initial screening part? This is usually the case when IDTOMIS is reset or when it has a new accreditation number.

Here are the steps to resolve the matter:

1. Make sure you are connected ONLINE. Kindly log in authorized specimen collector's (ASC) account by inputting his username and password to IDTOMIS. Include accreditation number if asked.
2. Once logged in, the account is renewed. The IDTOMIS can recognize the ASC account.
3. Log out.
4. Go back to Analyst acct.and check if the ASC's name is already in the specimen collection details part.

If the problem persists, ask the IDTOMIS Helpdesk representative.

Part-time drug analyst

When you realize that you need an extra money to get through each passing day, one job isn't enough. Much more you got bills to pay, you need to have an extra source of income. Just when I lost hope and nearly quit my job as a medical technologist at a hospital I suddenly found hope and got an opportunity to maximize being a drug analyst. So here I am, getting myself another part-time job being a drug analyst!

I left my previous part-time job because of many reasons: one is it cuts my budget. Going to and fro costs me 100 pesos so it's like that a considerable portion of my daily wage just went to fare. Also, it is a distance away from home. I need to get on a habal-habal, tricycle, and jeep to the clinic which is stressful. And one more thing, I'm just an on-call medtech. Meaning, I just get to work there when the medical technologist decides to take her day off.

I got this drug analyst opportunity when I and my friend went to LTO office to get a student permit. To obtain such, one must secure a medical certificate so we went to the nearest LTO-accredited medical/drug testing laboratory to get ours.

The process went smoothly, we easily got our medical certificate without a hassle. And just as we were about to leave, I asked one of the staff if they are still in need of a drug analyst when they said they do1

And that's when my drug analyst career started. 

I get paid hourly. My work schedule in the drug testing facility starts from 8AM till 12NOON so I work additional 4 hours in complement with my regular 2PM-10PM in the hospital laboratory. Sounds pretty stressful? Well, I just handled it for almost 7 months already and still coping up.

BENEFITS

Having a part time job helped me to stay on my budget for a month. With my regular job paying on a 15th-30th scheme, my part time  pays on the 5th and 20th so I get to allocate what needs to be paid first. Not to brag but I can really say I don't feel much of the 'tingbits' times (that's when you're running out of money but you're trying to make ends meet). It somehow helped me to save money in various saving vehicles and treat my family to dinners as well.

DISADVANTAGES

As mentioned, I get to work 12 hours a day so usually I get home around 11 pm and wake up at 5AM to get ready on things. I got only few hours of sleep. True, it's stressing me out but I have no choice so I get sick sometimes. Because of this, I never forget taking multivitamins to boost my immune system and invest on affordable beauty regimens for me not to look haggard.

For me, being a part-time drug analyst is somehow a blessing. I got the opportunity to make use of my certification at the same time I'm well-compensated. I thank the management for considering me to work even just half a day. Also, I'm grateful to have such outgoing workmates in the place as well. Truly, a worthy experience!

Thank you, dear interns! (CDU-MT batch 18-19)

First and foremost, thank you! 

Even though I'm not sure if you would take notice of this post but I'm honestly grateful of the company you've given us especially during the toxic and busy shifts. I could see that those are a part of the learning process but that was a great help there. You were there when we needed a hand. When I was releasing your drug test results from the start, I wonder if I can call all of you by your names. It was even hard for me to recognize all your faces but at the end of the internship, it was satisfying to get to know each one of you. 

I may not be the funny and outgoing medtech you used to know but I appreciate your thoughtfulness and initiative to help what needs to be done. I've seen your burning passion and undying ambition to finish what you've started and that is to pass and to graduate. I do recall when some of you worrying about their research, then came case studies, then moving exams to compre exams. In there, as I listened to every woes, it struck me that I was there also. I was once an intern doubting myself if would I be able to graduate on time or not.

When I knew all of you would graduate, I was so impressed. You were the biggest batch of the entire CDU-MT history yet you guys are also exceptional! I discovered many talents (singers, artists, dancers) in your batch that I was glad some obliged to showcase to us. 

True, there were times you were giving us headaches and sometimes being upset because of the 'issues' but for me, it already happened and I hope you realized your mistakes.. 

I would never forget the KPOP songs during your time (special mention to Love Scenario) when some could dance gracefully, when some could crack jokes  and those childish games you play when boredom strikes you. Not to mention the salo-salo and termi times as well!

It might be that good things come to an end. The lab now is already quiet and each sections not crowded anymore. I felt like something was wrong until I realized that the internship is over.

Seeing your graduation photos one by one makes me say that you deserve it. To the interns who are dear to me, thanks for the friendship. I hope that as we meet somewhere, you'll still wave your hand even though I might fail to recognize you.

Well, your seven months of being an intern is over. You're one step closer to your dream. I can't wait to call some of you guys a colleague in the future. I'm so proud of you! Kudos triple one! I believe all of you could make to the boards.  I congratulate all of you! 

It's LOVE through the microscope

monocyte

Sometimes, when life in the lab is pretty stressful, I see these simple things as some kind of the fun part of being a medical technologist. I vividly remember when I was quickly doing my differential count before I take my lunch break, I saw this cute cell. Even though I was in a hurry, I took a quick break and borrowed my colleagues phone and captured this monocyte as beautifully as I could. Then I said to myself, it's the simple things that make it more fun and exciting!

When Hematoma happens...

This is what happens when you don't hit the vein of your patient. This is the first time I've got my arms swollen as I donated platelets via apheresis.

I applied cold compress on the swollen area for 2 days and hot compress for the succeeding days.

I should have requested to have the needle transferred to the other arm but I chose to tolerate the pain instead. It's excruciating by the time the machine returned my red cells. Well, this may be a lesson for our fellow phlebotomists out there to do aftercare for their donors to avoid these mishaps.