United Parcel Service Inc. discriminates against employees who take certain prescription drugs, a former UPS package sorter said in a lawsuit filed against the shipping company.

Darlene E. Veltri, a 17-year UPS employee, said she was fired in January 2003 after a company drug test discovered traces of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in her system. Veltri, a recovering alcoholic, was prescribed the drug by her doctor, according to the lawsuit.

Veltri said UPS Employee Assistance Program made her disclose what prescription drugs she was taking and barred her from taking Xanax - against the advice of her doctor - as a condition for returning to work, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Pittsburgh, is seeking class action status.

(via BI Daily News)