Care Station Medical Group - Corporate Health Care

Care Station - New Jersey Hospitals and Medical Facilities

The Medical Review Officer (MRO) is a physician knowledgeable in the medical use of prescription drugs and the pharmacology and toxicology of illicit drugs. The primary responsibility of the MRO is to review and interpret positive test results obtained through the Care Station's substance testing program.

It is important to remember that a positive test result does not automatically identify an employee/applicant as an illegal drug user. The MRO must assess and determine whether alternative medical explanations could account for the positive test result.

The following is a listing of the MRO's specific responsibilities as required by the DHHS Mandatory Guidelines:

Receive confirmed positive results from laboratory
Request, if needed, a quantitative description of test results
Receive a certified copy of the original chain of custody
Review and interpret non-negative test results
Inform the tested individual and provide test results
Conduct a medical interview with the tested individual
Review the tested individual's medical history, or any other relevant biomedical factors
Give the tested individual an opportunity to discuss test results, but not necessarily face to face
Order a re-analysis of the original sample in a certified laboratory, if necessary
Consult with others if question of accuracy arises
Consult with the laboratory officials
Not receive urinalysis results that do not comply with the mandatory guidelines
Not declare as positive an opiate-positive urine without "clinical evidence"
Determine whether a result is scientifically insufficient
Determine whether a result is consistent with legal drug use
Forward results of verified positive tests to EAP and management officials empowered to recommend or administer action.

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