Outsourcing & Compliance Partner


For organizations in which substance abuse testing services are not core business functions, employers can expect several efficiencies and benefits from outsourcing to a qualified external provider. Such efficiencies, of course, depend on the nature and situation of the individual employer, however, some common reasons why many do choose to outsource include:

  • Lower costs and control budget
  • Lessen dependency on internal resources
  • Heighten concentration on core business functions
  • Strengthen management of a non-core business function
  • Quicken access to:
    • Subject matter expertise
    • Industry best practices
    • Innovative solutions
    • New legislation
  • Ensure effective execution of a non-core business function via contractually established service targets
  • Increase capability to respond effectively to changing business trends or conditions with minimum downtime or disruption to core business functions
  • Improve credibility and image by partnering with a superior outsourcing provide

Regarding substance abuse testing, an employer can expect a qualified outsourcing provider to ensure efficient handling of program requirements to help maintain compliance and reduce regulatory exposure, and to provide new expertise that may not currently be in place. This is especially important in matters concerning regulated or mandated testing.


Knowing that a reliable expert team is readily available to step in can be extremely reassuring, especially in terms of:

  • Providing pre-audit, in-audit, and post-audit support
  • Implementing audit recommendations
  • Ensuring regulated testing compliance is monitored consistently throughout the year
  • Identifying and assisting in areas in need of improvement
  • Ensuring employer policies remain sufficient to shield the employer from future challenges
  • Ensuring employees are sufficiently trained


Outsourcing through Sterling brings the aforementioned benefits and efficiencies, as we’re an organization that assists more than 1,000 customers with regulated and non-regulated testing. Partnering with Sterling will provide employers with the ability to:

  • Redirect resources currently managing substance abuse testing activities to other core business functions
  • Avoid reconciliation of multiple invoices for specimen collection, laboratory analysis, MRO, and random program management services
  • Reduce liability as a third party can provide sustained oversight of regulated testing and for generating employee selected lists for random testing

As a third-party-administrator, Sterling is also on the front-line of new technologies, solutions, and best practices available that could further benefit employers, such as with transitioning to paperless/electronic testing.

Outsourcing is regarded today as a tried-and-true model, and is also recognized as a long-term competitive strategy for success with many advantages. Employers who are contemplating outsourcing substance abuse testing functions should ask:

  • Are my current resources effectively achieving all substance abuse testing requirements?
  • Are my current resources capable of responding to shortages or losses of internal talent assigned to support all necessary requirements?
  • Is there a quicker, more effective method for handling all requirements?
  • Does my team have the necessary expertise and access to qualified resources to meet all current and future challenges?

All indications point to outsourcing continuing to broaden as a business practice and strategy. More and more employers are designing plans to outsource non-core business functions, and this trend is clearly in favor of continuing for functions that require greater skills and expertise, such as with substance abuse testing.


In terms of compliance, Sterling experts partner closely with all individuals an organization charges with managing substance abuse testing and ensuring a drug-free workplace, and offers several services to assist, many of which are complimentary. These include:

  • Annual compliance planning to align with DOT agency-specific requirements
  • Monthly compliance reporting with year-end projections and relevant guidance
  • Regulated and non-regulated policy development and review
  • Mock DOT DFWP auditing
  • Online and onsite training:
    • DAPM/DER Training
    • Field DER Training
    • Supervisory Substance Abuse Awareness Training (satisfies the federal requirement for reasonable suspicion referral determinations)
    • Employee Substance Abuse Awareness Training
    • DOT Audit Preparedness Training
Sterling Partners