MRO Drug Testing Procedures 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a Medical Review Officer (MRO) in drug testing?
- Collect urine specimens
- Supervise laboratory staff
- Evaluate and verify drug test results (Correct answer)
- Transport test samples
Correct answer: Evaluate and verify drug test results
An MRO is responsible for reviewing lab results and verifying if a legitimate medical explanation exists for positive drug tests.
Question 2: Which specimen type is most commonly used in federally regulated drug testing?
- Saliva
- Hair
- Urine (Correct answer)
- Sweat
Correct answer: Urine
Urine is the standard specimen used in federally regulated drug testing due to its reliability and established testing protocols.
Question 3: What is the chain of custody in drug testing?
- A lab technician’s checklist
- A report on test pricing
- Documentation tracking specimen handling (Correct answer)
- A medical history form
Correct answer: Documentation tracking specimen handling
The chain of custody ensures that the specimen is handled and documented in a way that maintains its integrity throughout the process.
Question 4: What step follows a non-negative initial test result?
- Send the employee home immediately
- Repeat the initial test
- Conduct confirmatory testing (Correct answer)
- Notify the media
Correct answer: Conduct confirmatory testing
A non-negative result must be confirmed by a certified laboratory using more specific testing, such as GC/MS or LC/MS.
Question 5: Which federal agency sets the guidelines for workplace drug testing?
- OSHA
- DEA
- SAMHSA (Correct answer)
- NIH
Correct answer: SAMHSA
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides the standards and protocols for drug testing procedures.
Question 6: Why is specimen validity testing performed?
- To test for all diseases
- To save processing time
- To ensure specimen integrity (Correct answer)
- To skip confirmatory testing
Correct answer: To ensure specimen integrity
Specimen validity testing checks for adulteration or substitution to ensure the sample has not been tampered with.
What is the primary purpose of a Medical Review Officer (MRO) in drug testing?