American Bio Medica's Rapid Drug Screen Advances the State-of-the-Art in On-Site Drug Testing.

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BW HealthWire)--June 30, 1998--

Company gears up production as U.S. Congress considers Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1998 which provides financial incentives for companies that set-up anti-drug programs

The Rapid Drug Screen(TM), a new drug test that is as easy to use as a pregnancy test and as accurate as a laboratory test, soon could help expand the use of on-site drug tests in doctors' offices, in the workplace and in schools.

Developed by American Bio Medica Corporation (NASDAQ:ABMC), a small public company based in Hudson, New York, with marketing and sales offices in Boca Raton, Florida, the Rapid Drug Screen(TM) uses innovative technology to make possible an easy-to-administer urine test for a wide variety of drugs. The one-step test eliminates all contact with urine, is simple to read and has been shown to correlate 100 percent with the laboratory screen recognized as the standard for drug tests.

American Bio Medica is conducting a pilot program among physicians in the Orlando and Tampa areas to introduce a physicians referral network, backed up by an 800 number and other technical and marketing support, to administer drug tests for small businesses, schools, individuals and families.

With the Federal Drug Free Workplace Program requirements for companies with federal contracts, more than 90 percent of large companies already employ some form of drug testing. But many middle-sized and smaller companies shy away from drug testing because of the expense and delay with laboratory-processed drug tests and the mess and trouble with on-site drug tests.

The U.S. Congress is currently considering the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1998 which would establish a demonstration program under which small businesses setting up drug-free workplace programs would get financial incentives and technical assistance. The bill also provides for training programs for working parents to help them keep their children drug-free.

"Drug testing in the workplace and the schools can be an effective weapon in the fight against illegal drug use, but testing programs haven't become more widespread because there hasn't been an on-site drug test that's sufficiently reliable and easy to use" said Stan Cipkowski, President of American Bio Medica Corporation. "Because of its clear advantages in ease of use and cost, we believe the Rapid Drug Screen fills that need."

With the Rapid Drug Screen(TM), the urine sample is collected in a sealed cup with a slotted top that has a security strip covering it. Then the product's unique drug test card is inserted through the secure slotted lid into the urine. There is no pouring, mixing or shaking, and test results can be read from the card in five minutes.

A single card can test for just one drug or for up to nine drugs at one time depending on the configuration of drug reagent panels on the card. The company currently makes cards to test for cocaine, marijuana, opiates, PCP, amphetamines, methamphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and tricyclics. A temperature sensitive panel provides extra security and assures that the urine sample is actually from the donor and not a substitution.

Unlike other on-site drug tests, the Rapid Drug Screen(TM) doesn't require skilled personnel to administer it, doesn't utilize pipettes to transfer urine, doesn't require urine and reagents to be stirred or shaken, doesn't involve a complicated procedure and doesn't turn over the reagent material to the person being tested, all drawbacks of other on-site tests on the market.

"The first step in creating a drug-free environment is a program of testing. The Rapid Drug Screen is the tool that finally could make widespread testing possible," Cipkowski said.

Introduced in 1996, the Rapid Drug Screen(TM) is being marketed nationally and internationally to criminal justice and corrections departments, rehabilitation programs, schools and private industry. ABMC is currently scaling up production and planning to break ground on a 90,000 square-foot production facility and corporate headquarters in upstate New York.

    CONTACT:  Joan Schuman Associates
               Jeff Muise or Joan Schuman, 914/338-2955
               or
               American Bio Medica
               Les Cohen, 561/362-7701