MRO Source Selection & Evaluation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under 49 CFR Part 40, which criterion disqualifies a collection site from being used for DOT urine specimen collection?
- The site is located in a retail pharmacy
- The site lacks a bluing agent for toilet water (Correct answer)
- The site is more than 20 miles from the employer
- The site uses a digital chain of custody form
Correct answer: The site lacks a bluing agent for toilet water
Collection sites must have the toilet water blued (colored) to deter dilution or substitution; absence of this requirement makes the site non-compliant.
Question 2: Which professional is authorized to serve as a Designated Employer Representative (DER) in the MRO source evaluation process?
- Only the company's legal counsel
- Any employee designated by the employer to receive drug test results (Correct answer)
- Only a licensed physician
- Only a certified substance abuse professional
Correct answer: Any employee designated by the employer to receive drug test results
A DER is any employer-designated employee authorized to receive test results and take required actions; no special licensure is required.
Question 3: An MRO is reviewing a specimen that was shipped to the laboratory via a non-approved courier. Under 49 CFR Part 40, what is the most appropriate action?
- Accept the result if the seal is intact (Correct answer)
- Cancel the test due to a fatal flaw in chain of custody
- Report the result as dilute
- Contact the courier to obtain shipping records
Correct answer: Accept the result if the seal is intact
Shipping method is not a fatal flaw under Part 40; if the specimen seal is intact and the CCF is properly completed, the MRO may proceed.
Question 4: Which of the following collection site conditions is a correctable flaw rather than a fatal flaw under 49 CFR Part 40?
- The specimen ID number on the bottle does not match the CCF
- The collector failed to sign the CCF (Correct answer)
- The specimen bottle seal was broken upon arrival at the lab
- No specimen was collected
Correct answer: The collector failed to sign the CCF
A missing collector signature is a correctable flaw that can be remedied with a memorandum of correction from the collector; the other options are fatal flaws requiring cancellation.
Question 5: An employer selects a collection site based solely on geographic convenience. What additional factor should the MRO advise the employer to verify?
- The site's Better Business Bureau rating
- The collector's DOT training and qualification records (Correct answer)
- The site's participation in workers' compensation programs
- The site's accreditation by The Joint Commission
Correct answer: The collector's DOT training and qualification records
Collectors must have completed qualification training per 49 CFR Part 40; employers should verify collector qualifications, not just location.
Question 6: When evaluating a laboratory result package, the MRO finds that Copy 1 of the CCF is missing. What does this indicate?
- The laboratory must retest the specimen
- This is a fatal flaw requiring test cancellation
- This is a correctable flaw; the MRO may request a copy from the collector (Correct answer)
- The test result is automatically negative
Correct answer: This is a correctable flaw; the MRO may request a copy from the collector
A missing Copy 1 is a correctable discrepancy; the MRO may obtain a legible copy from the collection site to resolve the issue.
Question 7: A DOT-regulated employer asks the MRO whether they may use a laboratory located in Canada for federally mandated testing. What is the correct response?
- Yes, if the lab is ISO 17025 accredited
- Yes, if the employer and lab sign a compliance agreement
- No, only HHS-certified US laboratories may be used for DOT testing (Correct answer)
- Yes, for pre-employment tests only
Correct answer: No, only HHS-certified US laboratories may be used for DOT testing
49 CFR Part 40 requires that all DOT-regulated specimens be tested at HHS-certified laboratories, which must be located within the United States.
MRO Source Selection & Evaluation 3
Under 49 CFR Part 40, which criterion disqualifies a collection site from being used for DOT urine specimen collection?