Role of Medical Review Officer. The Medical Review Officer (MRO) is a physician employed by the Testing Facility knowledgeable in the medical use of prescription drugs and the pharmacology and toxicology of illicit drugs. The MRO's primary responsibility is to review and interpret positive test results obtained through testing process. In fulfilling these responsibilities, the MRO is to be guided by federal guidelines. If any question arises as to the accuracy or validity of a positive test result, the MRO should in collaboration with the Testing Facility, review the laboratory records to determine whether the required procedures were followed. The MRO then makes a determination as to whether the result is scientifically sufficient to take further action. If records from collection sites or laboratories raise doubts about the handing of samples, the MRO may deem the urinary evidence insufficient and no further actions relative to individual employees would occur. The MRO must also assess and determine whether alternate medical explanations could account for any positive test result. In reviewing the laboratory results, the MRO may conduct a medical interview with the employee, review the employee's medical history, or review any other relevant biomedical factors. The MRO shall also review any information provided by an employee attempting to show legitimate use of a drug. The MRO may perform limited physical examinations, seeking, for example, needle tracks, in determining whether clinical signs of drug abuse are present. The MRO must ultimately determine whether some reason other than illegal drug use explains a drug-positive urine. If the MRO verifies illegal drug use, the information related to the use of illegal drugs will be disclosed to the Chief or Acting Chief. Any medical information provided to the MRO that is not specifically related to use of illegal drugs will be treated as confidential and not disclosed. If it is determined with reasonable certainty that there is a legitimate medical or other reason to account for the positive laboratory findings, no information identifying the specific employee will be disclosed and the test results will be reported as negative.
Role of Medical Review Officer. The Medical Review Officer (MRO) is a physician knowledgeable in the medical use of prescription drugs and the pharmacology and toxicology of illicit drugs. The MRO's primary responsibility is to review and interpret positive test results obtained through the DSP. In fulfilling these responsibilities, the MRO is to be guided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Role of Medical Review Officer. All urinalysis drug test results will be communicated by the laboratory to a specially trained physician serving as Medical Review Officer. The Medical Review Officer will notify the Director of Human Resources or designee directly if an employee’s test result is negative or positive. If the test result is positive, the Medical Review Officer will contact the employee to discuss the test, to determine if the positive result is valid and to notify the employee that he or she has seventy-two (72) hours to request a test of the split specimen. If, after making reasonable efforts and documenting those efforts, the Medical Review Officer is unable to reach the employee, the Medical Review Officer shall direct the employee to contact the Medical Review Officer within twenty-four (24) hours. The Director of Human Resources or designee will be informed that the individual has tested positive or negative. If the test is positive, the identity of the specific drugs(s) involved as well as other information regarding the test, will be disclosed to the Director of Human Resources or designee by the Medical Review Officer. A positive drug test is one which reveals a prohibited level of a drug covered by the program. All initial tests shall have a confirming test know as the gas chromatography and mass spectrometry test, commonly known as GC/MS test.
