23 September 2005
DOH going after fake drug test centers around LTO offices
AN official of the Department of Health said today that bogus drug testing laboratories are teeming in the four provinces of the Ilocos region with their owners continuously playing a game of cat-and mouse with authorities.
Dr. Reynaldo Jacinto, chief of the enforcement and regulations division of DOH regional office, said three drug testing laboratories had already been padlocked and another was already suspended twice for making a mockery of the law.
All of these were located near branches of the Land Transportation Office where persons applying for driver’s licenses or seeking renewal of the same, including those applying for jobs locally and abroad, flock to daily.
Jacinto refused to comment on whether the LTO had any hand in the sprouting of drug testing laboratories near their various offices in the provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, including the cities and capitals.
He said that based on his evaluation, 20 more of the remaining 65 drug testing laboratories in the entire Region 1 are set to be closed beginning next year, when they will be renewing their respective licenses.
All were found to be violating certain provisions of the expanded dangerous drugs act of 2002 or Republic Act No. 9165, which tasked the DOH with the duty of accrediting drug testing centers with the standards set by the DOH.
The drug testing laboratories must follow the standards in order to ferret out those who are really using drugs, otherwise, drivers’ licenses may be issued even to persons who have dangerous drugs habit.
Padlocked by the DOH since last week were the JPG Drug Testing Laboratory and Jecart Drug Testing Laboratory, both in Burgos, Ilocos Norte and Estat Laboratory in Sinait, Ilocos Norte.
All three were found to be conducting drug testing and urine examination for applicants for drivers’ licenses without having any accreditation from the DOH.
At the JPG Drug Testing Center, Jacinto confiscated 72 drivers’ licenses, some of which already expired and others about-to-expire with respective supporting papers from the LTO, which was allegedly being fast-tracked for issuance of drug testing certificates even without the presence of the owners thereof to personally take the drug test.
Taking charge of the drug testing center was not the accredited analyst but only the urine collector.
Suspended twice was the Hashy Drug Testing Laboratory in Dagupan City after it was found by the DOH to be performing and conducting drug testing and urine examination without a registered and trained analyst who must be a medical technologist.
Jacinto said that a duly accredited drug testing center must present the result of the drug test, whether positive or negative, in computer printouts. The results in bogus testing center are usually presented manually or written in long hand by the supposed center “analysts.”
Dr. Reynaldo Jacinto, chief of the enforcement and regulations division of DOH regional office, said three drug testing laboratories had already been padlocked and another was already suspended twice for making a mockery of the law.
All of these were located near branches of the Land Transportation Office where persons applying for driver’s licenses or seeking renewal of the same, including those applying for jobs locally and abroad, flock to daily.
Jacinto refused to comment on whether the LTO had any hand in the sprouting of drug testing laboratories near their various offices in the provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, including the cities and capitals.
He said that based on his evaluation, 20 more of the remaining 65 drug testing laboratories in the entire Region 1 are set to be closed beginning next year, when they will be renewing their respective licenses.
All were found to be violating certain provisions of the expanded dangerous drugs act of 2002 or Republic Act No. 9165, which tasked the DOH with the duty of accrediting drug testing centers with the standards set by the DOH.
The drug testing laboratories must follow the standards in order to ferret out those who are really using drugs, otherwise, drivers’ licenses may be issued even to persons who have dangerous drugs habit.
Padlocked by the DOH since last week were the JPG Drug Testing Laboratory and Jecart Drug Testing Laboratory, both in Burgos, Ilocos Norte and Estat Laboratory in Sinait, Ilocos Norte.
All three were found to be conducting drug testing and urine examination for applicants for drivers’ licenses without having any accreditation from the DOH.
At the JPG Drug Testing Center, Jacinto confiscated 72 drivers’ licenses, some of which already expired and others about-to-expire with respective supporting papers from the LTO, which was allegedly being fast-tracked for issuance of drug testing certificates even without the presence of the owners thereof to personally take the drug test.
Taking charge of the drug testing center was not the accredited analyst but only the urine collector.
Suspended twice was the Hashy Drug Testing Laboratory in Dagupan City after it was found by the DOH to be performing and conducting drug testing and urine examination without a registered and trained analyst who must be a medical technologist.
Jacinto said that a duly accredited drug testing center must present the result of the drug test, whether positive or negative, in computer printouts. The results in bogus testing center are usually presented manually or written in long hand by the supposed center “analysts.”
