40.121—Who is qualified to act as an MRO?
To be qualified to act as an MRO in the DOT drug testing program, you must meet each of the requirements of this section:
(a) Credentials.
You must be a licensed physician (Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy). If you are a licensed physician in any U.S., Canadian, or Mexican jurisdiction and meet the other requirements of this section, you are authorized to perform MRO services with respect to all covered employees, wherever they are located. For example, if you are licensed as an M.D. in one state or province in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico, you are not limited to performing MRO functions in that state or province, and you may perform MRO functions for employees in other states or provinces without becoming licensed to practice medicine in the other jurisdictions.
(1)
You must be knowledgeable about and have clinical experience in controlled substances abuse disorders, including detailed knowledge of alternative medical explanations for laboratory confirmed drug test results.
(2)
You must be knowledgeable about issues relating to adulterated and substituted specimens as well as the possible medical causes of specimens having an invalid result.
(3)
You must be knowledgeable about this part, the DOT MRO Guidelines, and the DOT agency regulations applicable to the employers for whom you evaluate drug test results, and you must keep current on any changes to these materials. The DOT MRO Guidelines document is available from ODAPC (Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, 202-366-3784, or on the ODAPC web site (http://www.dot.gov/ost/dapc )).
(c) Qualification training.
You must receive qualification training meeting the requirements of this paragraph (c).
(vi)
Provisions of this part and DOT agency rules applying to employers for whom you review test results, including changes and updates to this part and DOT agency rules, guidance, interpretations, and policies affecting the performance of MRO functions, as well as issues that MROs confront in carrying out their duties under this part and DOT agency rules.
(2)
Following your completion of qualification training under paragraph (c)(1) of this section, you must satisfactorily complete an examination administered by a nationally-recognized MRO certification board or subspecialty board for medical practitioners in the field of medical review of DOT-mandated drug tests. The examination must comprehensively cover all the elements of qualification training listed in paragraph (c)(1) of this section.
(i)
If you became an MRO before August 1, 2001, and have already met the qualification training requirement, you do not have to meet it again.
(ii)
If you became an MRO before August 1, 2001, but have not yet met the qualification training requirement, you must do so no later than January 31, 2003.
(iii)
If you become an MRO on or after August 1, 2001, you must meet the qualification training requirement before you begin to perform MRO functions.
(d) Requalification training.
During each five-year period from the date on which you satisfactorily completed the examination under paragraph (c)(2) of this section or have successfully completed the required continuing education requirements which were mandatory prior to October 1, 2010, you must complete requalification training.
(1)
This requalification training must meet the requirements of the qualification training under paragraph (c)(1) of this section.
(2)
Following your completion of requalification training, you must satisfactorily complete an examination administered by a nationally-recognized MRO certification board or subspecialty board for medical practitioners in the field of medical review of DOT-mandated drug tests. The examination must comprehensively cover all the elements of qualification training listed in paragraph (c)(1) of this section.
(e) Documentation.
You must maintain documentation showing that you currently meet all requirements of this section. You must provide this documentation on request to DOT agency representatives and to employers and C/TPAs who are using or negotiating to use your services.
[65 FR 79526, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 66 FR 41951, Aug. 9, 2001; 75 FR 49862, Aug. 16, 2010]