Monday, July 31, 2006
QUESTIONS SURROUND CREDENTIALS, METHODS OF DRUG SCREENER
An alrming article in the Post and Courier begins thusly: "His words can run reputations, wrest children from their parents and cost perople their jobs." If you thought the article was referring to either a Family Court Judge or a Guardian ad Litem--think again. Rather, the article is on the subject of Robert Bennet who has persuaded "Lowcountry judges, lawyers and business people that he is the pre-eminent local authority on drug testing--despite the fact that he "is not licensed or certified in any discipline for which he claims expertise. Yet he bills himself as a forensic toxicologist, a medical review officer, a criminal forensics expert and an addictionologist with multiple medical degrees." He can do this because because the State of South Carolina does not regulate these specialties, has no requirements that drug screeners have minimum skills, and has no standards to ensure the reliability of screeners' results.
An alrming article in the Post and Courier begins thusly: "His words can run reputations, wrest children from their parents and cost perople their jobs." If you thought the article was referring to either a Family Court Judge or a Guardian ad Litem--think again. Rather, the article is on the subject of Robert Bennet who has persuaded "Lowcountry judges, lawyers and business people that he is the pre-eminent local authority on drug testing--despite the fact that he "is not licensed or certified in any discipline for which he claims expertise. Yet he bills himself as a forensic toxicologist, a medical review officer, a criminal forensics expert and an addictionologist with multiple medical degrees." He can do this because because the State of South Carolina does not regulate these specialties, has no requirements that drug screeners have minimum skills, and has no standards to ensure the reliability of screeners' results.
