MEDICAL REVIEW OFFICER (MRO) SERVICES
Medical review of the drug test results protects both the employee and the employer from liabilities inherent in any drug testing program. The integrity of your Drug Testing program depends on its fairness and accuracy. The role of the Medical Review Officer is to review and interpret lab results obtained through your company's drug testing program. An essential element of the drug testing program is the medical review of the drug testing results. The MRO's role is an important safeguard in the testing process. The MRO practice is a specialty area that requires important protection in the testing process, technical knowledge, professional judgment, interpersonal skills, and an understanding of both legal and economic issues.
The MRO is required to be a licensed physician responsible for receiving laboratory results generated by a drug testing program, who has knowledge of substance abuse disorders and has appropriate medical training to interpret and evaluate an individual's positive test result with his or her medical history and any other relevant biomedical information.
DTC works with experienced MROs that are certified by the American Association of Medical Review Officers (AAMRO). Every individual who has a positive lab result has an opportunity to speak with an MRO before a report is made to the company. After interviewing the donor, the MRO may deem it necessary to consult with the laboratory or collection site officials, refer the case to a local physician for a face-to-face interview or even a physical examination, and or order a retest of the original specimen. At the end of this process, the MRO will either determine that the result is scientifically accurate, lacks legitimate medical explanation, and report the result as positive; or determine that a legitimate medical explanation exists, substantiate and document that explanation, and report the result as negative.
The MRO's Responsibilities and Duties:
- Review all information on the Chain of Custody and Control Form (CCF) and determine if the information is forensically and scientifically supportable
- Interview the donor when required
- Respect for Personal Confidentiality and dignity of the donor
- Maintain records and ensure confidentiality of the information
- Maintenance of the confidentiality of medical information, except when public safety is jeopardized
- Maintenance of high scientific and medical standards
- Make a determination regarding the test result
- Report the verified result to the employer through email notification and our web-based reporting