WOLFEWATCH E-Newsletter

Employers who support a Drug-Free Workplace do much more than just protect their tangible business assets. They also demonstrate to employees a commitment to improved workplace safety and their support of a culture where the security and good health of workers is valued.

Successful drug–free programs encourage worker participation through education and training. The rights of employees and employers are respected and protected. Assistance may be available to those who test positive; disciplinary action up to and including termination may apply to others. Violators in DOT-regulated industries can permanently lose the ability to perform their safety-sensitive job.

With so much at stake, it is vitally important to avoid the risk of wrongful termination and defamation claims due to false-positive drug tests. A simple layer of defense will ensure consistent reporting and offer donors the opportunity to discuss a positive, invalid, substituted, or adulterated test result with an impartial expert; the certified Medical Review Officer (MRO).

Consider this scenario: You are involved in a workplace accident that requires drug testing. After being escorted to the testing site to provide a specimen, you are later advised that your drug test result is positive and to pack up your belongings. But, you are NOT a drug user! What happens now? What steps are required to contest the positive result? How do I save my job and my reputation?

Without medical review, employers must direct all conversation between parties and interpret possible medical explanations unaided. The decision to take action based upon a positive lab test is yours alone. You hold the bag, so to speak.

With medical review, an impartial licensed physician with in-depth knowledge of alternative medical explanations will contact the donor and conduct a verification interview. The MRO offers the donor an opportunity to present a legitimate medical explanation for the laboratory findings.

The MRO then evaluates the drug test result in the context of information provided in the donor interview. For the explanation to be accepted, the donor must also provide valid supporting documentation. If an explanation for a non-negative result is acceptable and supported by documentation, the MRO must verify the result as negative. If an explanation or documentation is determined as inacceptable, the MRO reports a final test result of positive from which employers may take action. The MRO delivers consistent “Peace of Mind.”

Equally important; should a donor wish to dispute the final, reported positive test or any aspect of the drug testing process, it is the function of the MRO to oversee specimen retesting and any follow-up. In this way, the MRO serves as an independent program “gatekeeper” to oversee and advocate for accuracy and integrity in all areas of the testing process. Medical Review contributes greatly to the overall success of any testing program by granting fairness to the donor.

The MRO must also be and remain knowledgeable about applicable rules; including DOT Part 40, MRO guidelines, and regulations that affect organizations for whom the MRO evaluates drug tests. We strongly recommend Medical Review to all employers who administer Drug-Free Workplace Programs. MRO is a required program component of industries regulated by the US Department of Transportation (DOT).

Learn how to cost-effectively add a Medical Review Officer option into your existing Drug-Free Workplace Program.

We deliver peace of mind.

Wolfe Business Relationship Team

• Phone 800. 230.2991
• Email questions to BizRelations@WolfeInc.com.