When completing a urine drug test, it is on occasion that technicians in our collection sites will have donors that are unable to provide an appropriate sample volume for testing. Collectors will immediately check the provided urine for the appropriate volume required for testing. If the sample does not meet requirements, our collectors then put donors onto what is referred to as the Shy Bladder procedure until an appropriate sample can be provided.
Though this may be concerning to donors or their employers, shy bladder syndrome is quite common and we have a few individuals complete this procedure every day! So, no need to panic, just trust your technician and follow the outlined protocol to ensure that an appropriate sample is provided before leaving the facility.
If the donor decides not to participate in CannAmm’s Shy Bladder procedure, this will be marked on their collection forms and will be noted as a refusal to test. This result will in term be released to the Designated Employee Representative.
Shy Bladder Procedure
If the donor in question decides to undergo the recommended Shy Bladder procedure, which for our team at CannAmm Occupational Testing Services is DOT regulated and COAA / Energy Canadian Model approved, they will then be directed by their technician of the following:
- Donors may not drink any fluids except the 5 oz. of water provided to them by a technician every 20 minutes. Donors will be provided with a total of 40 oz. of water evenly distributed over a period of up to 3 hours. Though they do not have to drink the water, it is highly encouraged to provide a sufficient quantity of undiluted specimen.
- Donors will not be permitted to leave the facility, if they decide to leave then this will be noted as a refusal to test.
- All fluids provided and collection attempts will be documented by the technician.
- During the waiting time, the donor must be monitored by the collector, another responsible collection site staff member, or a company representative.
- Donors must provide a new sample of urine that is more than 45mL for laboratory testing or 60mL for express testing. Each attempt will result in a new sample. Collected samples that do not meet the required volume will be disposed of and the donor will continue the shy bladder procedure until the 3-hour time limit is up or an appropriate sample has been provided.
- Once a shy bladder urine test has been collected with an appropriate sample within the 3-hour time limit, the donor is then free to leave the collection site and the remainder of our technician’s process will commence.
- If an appropriate sample has not been collected within the 3-hour time limit, the donor is then free to leave the collection site and the technician will complete the collection forms noting the collection was discontinued after the shy bladder procedure has ended.
Pros and Cons of Shy Bladder Procedure
What are the pros and cons of following the above Shy Bladder procedure? The pros are that this method protects donors. The protocols that our team at CannAmm utilizes are approved by the DOT and COAA / Energy Canadian Model and therefore will comply with any drug test in Canada. This is the best practice for ensuring that each donor gets an accurate and defensible result.
One of the cons is that not all drug and alcohol testing companies follow the same set of high standards. This is why our technicians at CannAmm are very particular with the way that the procedure is followed as we want to ensure that the donors that come to our sites, and their employers, are protected.
If procedures weren’t followed directly then it would be possible to have a donor provide an inadmissible sample. If this were the case then an incorrect result may occur which could cause a safety risk.
If you have any questions about how our team at CannAmm completes our Shy Bladder procedures please feel free to reach out to one of our subject matter experts at any time. We would be happy to go over the protocol in more detail and further explain the importance of collecting an appropriate sample to ensure that everyone gets an accurate and defensible result.
