Term
| Definition |
| Baseline Testing | Done to establish the level of illicit drug (or alcohol) use at the initial implementation of a comprehensive drug-free workplace (or substance abuse) program. |
| Bind | To combine with or lock together. |
| Binding | The chemical process of combining molecules by means of reactive groups. |
| Blind Specimen or Blind Performance Test Specimen | A specimen with a fictitious identifier submitted to a laboratory for quality-control testing purposes so that the laboratory cannot distinguish it from an employee specimen. |
| Breath Alcohol Technician (BAT) | A person who instructs and assists employees in the alcohol-testing process and operates an evidential breath-testing device. |
| Buffer | A chemical compound added to a solution to maintain a specific pH. |
| Calibrator | A standard or reference material or substance used to standardize or calibrate an instrument or laboratory procedure. |
| Cancelled Test/Invalid Test | A drug or alcohol test that has a problem identified that cannot be or has not been corrected. A cancelled test is not a positive or a non-negative, or a negative test. An example is an on-site test, in which the control line is not present within the requisite time period. |
| Carrier | An immunogenic molecule that is recognized in an antibody response. |
| Catalysis | The acceleration of a chemical reaction by a substance (a catalyst or enzyme) that is not changed in the process. |
| Chain-of-Custody | Refers to the procedure used for documentation and the handling of a drugs-of-abuse (or alcohol) specimen (typically required for confirmation of non-negative on-site tests or laboratory-based screening tests) from the time the employee donates a specimen to the collector until the specimen is destroyed. Certain screening tests, such as on-site oral fluid-based tests for drugs of abuse or alcohol do not require a chain-of-custody procedure unless a confirmatory test is needed. (Note: Avitar provides chain-of-custody forms for non-federally mandated workplace drug testing. For DOT or federally mandated testing, the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (CCF) are used.) |
| Change in Absorbance | The difference between the initial reading and the final reading of the amount of light absorbed by a sample. |
| Class | A group, set, or kind sharing common attributes. |
| CLIA Waived | Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments waived tests are defined as simple laboratory examinations and procedures that are cleared by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for home use, and employ methodologies that are simple and accurate as to render the likelihood of erroneous results negligible; or pose no reasonable risk or harm to the patient if the test is performed incorrectly. |
| Clone | A group of identical cells, all of which are produced from a single cell. |
| Co-Enzyme | Also called a "cofactor,“ a co-enzyme is an additional enzyme required in some enzymatic reactions. |
| Coefficient of Variation | A percent that represents the percentage of deviations from the mean; abbreviated %CV. |
| Collection Container | A vial or cup used to contain a sample specimen (oral fluid, urine, blood hair, etc.) for a subsequent test procedure typically associated with laboratory-based tests and/or confirmation drug tests. |
| Collection Site | A designated location selected by the employer or perspective employer, where employees or applicants present themselves for the purpose of providing a specimen (typically only used for urine-based, or blood-based tests) for a drug test and/or alcohol test. |
| Collector | A person who instructs and assists employees at a collection site, who receives and makes an initial inspection of the specimen, provided by those employees, and who initiates and who may initiate chain of custody documentation. |
| Comparative Analysis | A way of determining the accuracy of an assay method in comparison to known, "true" values. |
| Confirmatory/Confirmation Drug Test | Typically a laboratory analytical procedure, using GC/MS, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry equipment and associated procedures, performed on a specimen (oral fluid, urine, blood hair, etc.) to identify and quantify the presence of a specific drug or drug metabolite. |
| Confirmed Drug Test | An authorized GC/MS confirmation test result received by and commented upon by an MRO, after the MRO’s review of all relevant available information. |
| Consortium/Third-Party Administrator (C/TPA) | A service agent that provides or coordinates the provision of a variety of drug (and/or alcohol) testing services to employers. C/TPAs typically perform administrative tasks concerning the operation of the employer‘s drug (and alcohol) testing programs. This term includes, but is not limited to, groups of employers who join together to administer as a single entity. |
| Constant Error | A consistent bias in a comparative analysis where the value returned by the assay being tested is the sum of the true value and a constant. |
| Control | A sample that contains either a known amount of drug or no drug at all and is used to check the system (instruments, reagents, and operator). |
| Correlation | The degree of interdependence between two variables. |
| Correlation Coefficient | The number that describes the degree of interdependence between two variables with 1.00 as the "ideal.“ |
| Cost per Hire | Costs involved with a new hire. Can be used as a measurement to show any substantial improvements to savings in recruitment/retention costs. Determine what your recruiting function can do to increase savings/reduce costs, etc. (Advertising + Agency Fees + Employee Referrals + Travel cost of applicants and staff + Relocation costs + Recruiter pay and benefits) ÷ Number of Hires. |
| Cross-Reactivity | The reaction of an antibody with an antigen other than the one that induced its formation (the cowpox/smallpox connection), or with more than one antigen. |
| Cut-Off | Point or level at which a urine sample will be considered positive or negative. |