What Is a Medical Review Officer (MRO)? Part I

Unlocking Precision and Safety: Meet the MRO -Your Drug Testing Guardian

An MRO, short for Medical Review Officer, fulfills a crucial role as the central liaison between various 
stakeholders involved in the drug testing process. These stakeholders typically include the donor 
(individual being tested), the collector (person responsible for obtaining the specimen), the test facility 
(laboratory conducting the analysis), and the employer.

At Workplace Safety Screenings, we adhere to the guidelines set forth by the United States Department 
of Health and Human Services (HHS) in delivering MRO services. Our MRO services encompass the 
following responsibilities:

1. The Medical Review Officer (MRO) meticulously examines all specimens that have been flagged 
as positive, adulterated, substituted, invalid, or rejected for testing. Upon thorough verification 
of these results, the MRO then proceeds to communicate the verified outcomes to the 
respective employer or federal agency involved.
2. Similarly, specimens that have been reported as negative or negative with dilution require the 
MRO's meticulous attention. The MRO ensures that a minimum of 5% of such negative results 
are personally reviewed, with the remaining portion reviewed under the direct and personal 
supervision of the MRO's staff. Subsequently, these verified negative results are conveyed to the 
employer or federal agency as required.
3. To uphold the utmost accuracy and reliability of test results, the MRO actively engages in 
discussions with the laboratory when potential invalid outcomes are identified. This 
collaboration aims to determine whether further testing at another HHS-certified laboratory is 
necessary to reach a conclusive and accurate resolution.
4. Conduct or facilitate a medical evaluation of donors unable to provide a urine specimen, as 
reported by collectors.
5. Maintain records and ensure the confidentiality of drug test information.
6. Conduct initial investigations of issues in the drug testing process and promptly inform the 
employer and relevant regulatory authorities of any findings.
7. Monitor error frequency and notify relevant parties to implement corrective measures to 
prevent future occurrences.

Precision in Practice: MRO Ensures Drug Test Accuracy

The Medical Review Officer (MRO) plays a vital role in preventing misinterpretation of drug test results 
for employees who are taking legally prescribed medications. By verifying and reviewing drug test 
results, the MRO actively reaches out to employees with positive results to inquire about any medical 
explanations, thus avoiding false positive outcomes.

However, there is an important public safety concern associated with the information donors may share during the review process. Some donors may be using legal prescription medications for medical treatment, but these medications could have potential side effects that may impair their mental and/or physical abilities, especially when performing hazardous tasks such as driving or operating machinery.
In this context, the Medical Review Officer (MRO) will communicate to the employer regarding the drug test result, specifically highlighting any safety concerns.

Employers are obligated to inform their employees about the need to notify them when taking 
medications that might affect the safety of their work. Certain professions may have specific restrictions 
on medication use, even if they are permissible in other job roles. To ensure clarity, employers should 
request written authorization from the prescribing physician to determine the employee's ability to 
safely perform their job duties.

Unveiling: MRO Drug Test Results - Your Confidential Web Portal for Employers

All employer drug testing is conducted, with results electronically transmitted to our Workplace Safety 
Screenings web portal for review and verification by our Medical Review Officer (MRO) team. The web 
portal grants access to both pending and final results.

The MRO ensures that employer representatives receive verified results, with negative outcomes. 
processed automatically, unless there are exceptions. Non-negative results undergo a confidential 
phone review with the applicant or employee, in compliance with 49 CFR Part 40 regulations.

MRO-reviewed final drug test results are available in the web portal solely to authorized contacts 
designated by each employer. Every user in the portal has unique log-on credentials, typically granted to 
the Company Designated Employer Representative (DER) responsible for working with the MRO.