Your Required Medical Review Officer or “MRO”

This is the third installment in a series about the roles of DOT Service Agents (SAs) the people who help you implement your drug free workplace program.

After an employee participates in a DOT urine drug screen the specimen is sent by the urine collector to and processed by a DOT approved laboratory.

That process generates an initial result that is electronically sent to and reviewed by an Medical Doctors acting in the DOT Service Agent role of Medical Review Officer or “MRO”.

The urine collector also is required to send or electronically transmit the Medical Review Officer copy of the DOT urine collection Control and Custody Form of “CCF” to the MRO.

The MRO’s job is to review the initial result of a drug screen and determine several things:

• Is the result properly documented?
• Have they (the MRO’s office) received their copy (physical or electronic) of the drug screen form yet?
• Does the (the MRO) require additional information to determine the final result of a drug screen and report it.
• Is the test a positive drug screen result requiring an interview with the urine donor (employee that got tested)?
• Make contact with the donor (employee that got tested) when required and contact the employer when required.
• Make the final determination of the result
• Report the result of the drug screen to the donor’s employer either directly or through their (the donor’s employer) service agent authorized to do so.
• Determining and reporting negative DOT drug screen results

Most of the time results are negative and don't require any further action on the part of the MRO’s office so they report them out usually within 24 of receiving the initial results. Most MRO’s offer multiple options for getting a result including secure fax, email, and secure web portal access.

Determining and reporting positive DOT drug screen results

In the event of a positive result depending on how long it takes the MRO to get in touch with a donor (if the MRO needs to speak to them) before determining and reporting a result. Sometimes positive results can take a day or two longer to report.

The DOT requires results be processed and reported in a timely way so generally results are available between 24 to 48 hours after the lab receives the urine sample.

Delays in reporting results

MROs aren't allowed to report a DOT urine drug screen result until they have their copy and are able to determine it was filled out properly.

In some cases when the collection site does not send the MRO copy of the testing form to the MRO, results can end up being delayed until they receive it.

Mydrugtestingprogram.com sets all our clients up with an MRO that offers 24/7 online access to results and records through a secured system as well as 24/7 toll free live customer service.