The routine FAA medical examination does not test for alcohol use and it does not include a blood test. The urine test, which is performed by Aviation Medical Examiner's, is a screening test for diabetes and kidney disease and normally does not include a drug test. read more
It depends on exactly which job you’re talking about. For part 121 jobs (airlines), almost all countries have mandatory drug screening for hiring and/or random testing. read more
All commercial airline pilots should take a test for alcohol and drug use before every flight, Bartos said."One might surmise that all pilots from the problem airlines should blow into a breathalyzer/drug tester before every flight until this trend stops,” he said. read more
Because drug use among pilots is so rare, the cost-effectiveness of drug monitoring programs has come into question. The FAA has found that about 0.06 percent of pilots and air traffic controllers have a confirmed positive drug test, which works out to a cost of about $45,000 per positive result. read more