Delivering neuroscience and AI with the oculomotor system as a window into the function of the brain to help create an 'impairment-free" workplace

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, USA, December 20, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Growth in the use of medicinal and recreational marijuana by workers has caused increased concern about injury, absenteeism, casualty, and productivity losses. Impairment in the workplace contributes to the total cost of work injuries, which in 2019 was $171 billion dollars, including wage and productivity losses, medical and administrative expenses, and uninsured costs. A 2020 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety showed a 100% increase in fatal crashes in which drivers tested positive for Marijuana after the state of Washington made Marijuana legal for recreational use.

The National Safety Council recommends that companies adopt programs and policies to address impairment due to drugs, fatigue, and stress. They conclude that “impairment is often a hidden risk that prevents someone from being at their best and able to perform safely. Impairment negatively affects safety in both seen and unseen ways, including impacting the business bottom line.”

Psychoactive drugs affect brain function and are often responsible for impairing an individual’s ability to work safely and operate vehicles on public roadways. The key concern is that employees arrive at work unimpaired and do not use drugs while on the job. Employers need to provide a safe work environment without penalizing employees who abide by a company’s policy regarding drug use.

Since marijuana can linger in the body a long time after its use, it can be detected even when though the person may no longer be impaired. Some companies with zero-tolerance drugs have lost highly skilled employees who tested positive even though they were not impaired at the time. To address retention issues, some companies have changed these policies and removed marijuana from the drugs they test, creating the need to detect signs of impairment in other ways.

To support the employer’s ability to detect impairment, Zxerex Corporation developed IMPAIR-ID™, a patented screening test that rapidly and accurately identifies impairment. The company was launched from Arizona State University Skysong Innovations to commercialize the technology, invented at Arizona State University and the Barrow Neurological Institute.

IMPAIR-ID is a science-based application that identifies the temporary effect of drugs on areas of the brain that controls voluntary and involuntary eye movement. Unlike urine or saliva tests, the screening is non-invasive, low cost, and takes only a few minutes to complete. Zxerex has developed the first oculomotor biosignature for marijuana and also has another for opioids.

According to Andrew Freedman of Forbes Tate, former Marijuana Czar of the State of Colorado, and a public policy advisor to Zxerex, “I have heard dozens of pitches about cannabis intoxication tests. What so impressed me with Zxerex compared to other companies was that they had the rare combination of scientific rigor and go-to-market strategy.”

With IMPAIR-ID, companies can create a safe, impairment-free workplace that respects the employee, supports employee retention, and enhances employee recruiting. When combined with a company’s safety program, IMPAIR-ID will help to lower workplace injuries, reduce absenteeism, and increase productivity. By delivering an objective indicator of impairment, IMPAIR-ID serves as a deterrent to showing up impaired or becoming impaired on the job.

To learn how Zxerex can help your organization to become an “impairment-free" workplace and learn more about the technology, visit http://www.zxerex.com or email info@zxerex.com or call 1-480-518-9905.

Richard Besserman M.S., M.D.
ZXEREX CORPORATION
+1 480-518-9905
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