A medically-licensed individual known as a Medical Review Officer (MRO) receives and reviews laboratory results produced by a company’s drug testing program. Medical review officer services include the responsibility of assessing the medical justifications given for specific drug test findings.
MROs Are Responsible For a Variety of Tasks
When it comes to drug tests, the MRO is very important. It is their responsibility to verify the accuracy of the drug tests by checking that they are given correctly, using the appropriate drug panel, and following all other necessary protocols:
- The MRO needs to look over any samples that were reported as fake, tampered with, positive, or not suitable for testing
- In a bad test means that a donor needs to be called, it is the MRO’s job to do so and ask about the donor’s medical background and any prescription or illegal drug use
- If a drug test comes back negative, the MRO will also look it over before telling the company
- The MRO is obligated to maintain the confidentiality of all drug test findings
The DOT wants all drug tests and the way they are done to be looked over by an MRO. Good companies that test for drugs will have qualified medical review officer services who can work with bosses during the testing process if needed.
Why An MRO Drug Test Is Important?
Heavy drug use can cause a lot of people to quit their jobs, not show up for work, do bad work, and more. People who abuse drugs are especially likely to work in fields like transportation, where their use can hurt not only them but also customers and other people on the road.
Ensuring the safety, health, and productivity of workers and others is facilitated by medical review officer services. Most of the time, the results are very reliable and come back in a few days. Although further laboratory testing may be necessary to identify the precise chemical the worker may be using, certain tests, like four-panel drug tests, may provide findings in as little as a few minutes, whether positive or negative.
The Medical Review Officer Has Some Restrictions
Depending on the situation, the Medical Review Officer could work for the government or be self-employed. This individual acts as the link between the laboratory, the individual donating the sample, the organization collecting the data, and the agency’s official. The MRO cannot be:
- A person who works for or has a financial stake in any lab or instrumented initial test facility (IITF) where the MRO is looking over drug test data
- Suppose you have a financial interest in suggesting a certain testing facility or are in any way affiliated with any lab or IITF. In that case, this is a conflict of interest
Conclusion
Using medical review officer services, businesses may check for ongoing or illegal drug use among workers after an accident on the job, screen candidates for employment, and conduct random drug tests throughout an employee’s stay. Regardless of the approach, random drug testing is an effective tool for MROs that boosts morale, safety, and productivity in the workplace.