A Drug Testing Company Favored Speed Over Reliability, Some Ex-Employees Say. The Firm Says Its Work Is “Accurate.”
www.propublica.org
Averhealth’s lab practices have been faulted by its own accreditor, and the company has been targeted in lawsuits and dropped by two child welfare agencies, a ProPublica investigation found.

Reporting Highlights:

Questioning Tests: Michigan officials expressed concern in 2020 about conflicting drug test results from Averhealth, the company doing the testing for the state’s child welfare agency.

No Answers: The company didn’t tell Michigan that the lab’s accreditor had placed it on probation. Averhealth has defended the accuracy of its testing, citing an independent review.

Inside the Lab: Former employees told ProPublica the lab was understaffed and had broken and poorly maintained instruments, and they were pressured to speed delivery of test results.