DOT Changes Drug Testing Policy for Truckers
Posted on Tue, Aug 31, 2010 @ 09:01 AM
The Department of Transportation has made several changes to its rules for drug and alcohol testing. The changes are not related to the pending rule to create a national database for drug testing among drivers (a database would allow for employers to look up any trucker and see his or her drug testing history). However, this FMCSA rule is not linked to the DOT’s new changes to the drug testing standards.
“The new rule will add several amphetamine-type drugs to the required list: MDA, MDMA, and MDEA. Also, there will be a 6-AM test, a marker for heroin use,” according to truckigninfo.com. The Department will also lower the acceptable positive threshold for cocaine and amphetamine levels in hopes to see an increase in the number of positives for cocaine use.
The DOT originally proposed giving employers a choice between using a full-service drug testing facility or an Instrumental Initial Test Facility (ITIF), but ITIF’s only provide initial testing and not confirmation testing so all employers must use full-service testing facilities. Also, DOT will heighten it standards for Medical Review Officers and require them to be re-qualified every five years.
A full summary of the Safe Act of 2010 can be found here. In brief however, the Bill can be broken down into 8 main points:
1) The DOT is required by the Omnibus Transportation Employees Testing Act (Omnibus Act) to follow the HHS requirements for the testing procedures/protocols and drugs for which are tested.
2) Primary laboratory requirements in this final rule include: Testing for MDMA (aka. Ecstasy);
Lowering cutoff levels for cocaine and amphetamines;
Conducting mandatory initial testing for heroin;
3) The Department has brought several testing definitions in-line with those of HHS.
4) Each Medical Review Officer (MRO) will need to be re-qualified – including passing an examination given by an MRO training organization - every five years. The Final Rule eliminated the requirement for each MRO to take 12 hours of continuing education every three years.
5) An MRO will not need to be trained by an HHS-approved MRO training organization as long as the MRO meets DOT’s qualification and requalification training requirements.
6) MRO recordkeeping requirements did not change from the five years for non-negatives and one year for negatives.
7) The Final Rule does not allow the use of HHS-Certified Instrumented Initial Testing Facilities (IITFs) to conduct initial drug testing because the Omnibus Act requires laboratories to be able to perform both initial and confirmation testing but IITFs cannot conduct confirmation testing.
8) The Final Rule is effective October 1, 2010.