Confidentiality & Ethics Flashcards

An MRO discovers that a laboratory is routinely cutting corners on quality control. The MRO's ethical obligation is to:

Answer: Report concerns to the DOT-certified laboratory program and consider suspending use of that lab

MROs have an ethical duty to use only laboratories that meet HHS certification standards and must report systemic quality failures to appropriate authorities.

When an MRO is also employed as the company's occupational health physician, which ethical principle is most at risk?

Answer: Confidentiality and impartiality

Serving dual roles creates conflicts that can compromise the MRO's confidentiality obligations and impartiality in making verification decisions.

Under DOT regulations, an MRO is required to retain records of verified positive, adulterated, and substituted results for a minimum of:

Answer: Five years

DOT Part 40 requires MROs to retain records of non-negative results (positives, adulterations, substitutions) for a minimum of five years.

An employee on federal safety-sensitive duty discloses to the MRO during a verification call that he is taking a prescribed narcotic that impairs his ability to safely perform his job. The MRO should:

Answer: Advise the employee to self-report to the employer and, if he refuses, contact the DER to discuss immediate safety concerns

When an employee discloses an immediate safety risk, the MRO should encourage self-reporting and, if the employee refuses, may contact the DER to address the imminent safety concern.

A prospective employer contacts an MRO asking for the drug testing history of a job applicant who was previously tested under a DOT program. Without the applicant's consent, the MRO must:

Answer: Decline to release any information; consent or a legal mandate is required

Drug testing history cannot be released to third parties, including prospective employers, without the individual's written consent or a legal mandate.

Which of the following is an ethically appropriate reason for an MRO to recuse himself from reviewing a specific donor's specimen?

Answer: The donor is the MRO's immediate family member

A personal relationship with the donor—such as being a family member—creates a clear conflict of interest requiring the MRO to recuse himself.

An MRO receives a written request from the employee's attorney for all records related to a drug test. Before releasing any records, the MRO should:

Answer: Verify that the request is accompanied by the employee's written authorization or a valid legal order

An attorney's letter alone is not sufficient; the MRO requires either a signed employee authorization or a court order before releasing test records.