Performance Monitoring & QA Flashcards

Which document provides the primary federal quality standards that HHS-certified laboratories must follow for workplace drug testing?

Answer: HHS Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs

The HHS Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs establish the specific quality standards laboratories must meet.

An MRO receives a laboratory report indicating a specimen was positive for amphetamines but the laboratory's quantitative result was just above the confirmation cutoff. The MRO should:

Answer: Conduct the standard interview and make a final determination based on all evidence

Even results near the cutoff are handled through the standard MRO interview process; the MRO may not unilaterally reject a valid laboratory-confirmed positive.

A key QA indicator for split specimen testing performance is monitoring the rate of:

Answer: Split specimens confirmed at the retest laboratory vs. those that fail reconfirmation

Tracking the confirmation vs. non-reconfirmation rate of split specimens helps identify potential laboratory performance or procedural issues.

Under DOT 49 CFR Part 40, how long must an MRO retain records of positive, adulterated, substituted, and invalid test results?

Answer: 5 years

DOT requires MROs to retain records of positive, adulterated, substituted, and invalid results for a minimum of 5 years.

When an MRO's QA review identifies a pattern of collector errors at a specific site, the MOST appropriate action is to:

Answer: Coordinate with the DER to arrange corrective training for the collectors

Coordinating corrective training through the Designated Employer Representative (DER) is the appropriate channel for addressing collector performance deficiencies.

Which scenario represents a validity testing quality control failure that an MRO should flag during record review?

Answer: A specimen reported as substituted but creatinine and specific gravity results are not both documented

A substituted result requires documentation of both creatinine below 2 mg/dL and specific gravity outside 1.0010–1.0200; missing either value is a QC failure.

An MRO self-audit reveals that employee interview documentation is inconsistent across cases. The BEST corrective action is to:

Answer: Develop a standardized interview checklist and apply it to all cases going forward

A standardized interview checklist ensures consistent documentation across all cases and supports QA review.