Drug Testing - Summary of Procedures

  1. The Employee Driver is notified to submit for a urine drug test. The Employee Driver will provide the collector the following: University of Iowa RM Test Notification form; current, valid photo identification; and Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control form.
  2. The collector will:
    • Verify Employee Driver’s identity by using a current, valid photo identification (e.g., driver’s license, passport or University of Iowa-issued photo identification).
    • Explain the basic collection procedure to the Employee Driver.
    • Create a secure Collection Site by:
      • Restricting access to the site to only the Employee Driver being tested.
      • Securing all water sources and placing blue dye in any standing water.
      • Removing or securing all cleaning products/fluids at the collection site.
    • Afford the Employee Driver privacy to provide a urine specimen
      • Exceptions to the rule generally surround issues of attempted adulteration or substitution of a urine specimen or any situation where general questions of validity arise. (See below).
    • Ask the Employee Driver to remove any unnecessary garments or outer clothing and empty pockets (Employee Driver may retain wallet).
    • Instruct the Employee Driver to wash and dry hands.
    • Select, or have the Employee Driver select, a sealed collection kit and open the kit in Employee Driver’s presence.
    • Request the Employee Driver to provide a urine specimen (a minimum of 45 mL) into the collection container. If the Employee Driver is unable to provide 45 mL of urine on the first attempt, the time will be noted, and the Employee Driver will be:
      • Required to remain in the testing area under the supervision of the Collection Site personnel, his/her supervisor, or a representative from the University of Iowa. Note: Leaving the testing area without authorization may be considered a refusal to test, which is the same as a positive test result.
      • Urged to drink up to 40 oz. of fluid, distributed reasonably over a period of up to three hours.
      • Asked to provide a new urine specimen (into a new collection container). If the Employee Driver does not provide a sufficient urine specimen within three hours, the Employee Driver must obtain a medical evaluation within five days to determine if there is an acceptable medical reason for not being able to provide a urine specimen. If it is determined that there is no legitimate physiological or pre-existing psychological reason for not providing a urine specimen, it will be considered a refusal to test, which is the same as a positive test result.
    • In the Employee Driver’s presence, check the temperature and color of the urine specimen.
      • The acceptable temperature range is 32–38 °C/90–100 °F.
      • If the specimen temperature is outside the acceptable range, the collector will immediately conduct a new collection using direct observation procedures.
    • In the Employee Driver’s presence, pour the urine into two separate bottles ("A" or Primary Specimen and "B" or split specimen), seal with tamper-evident tape and ask the Employee Driver to sign the seals after the seals have been placed on the bottles. Note: Neither the Employee Driver nor the collector should let the urine specimen out of sight until the urine specimen has been poured into two separate bottles and sealed.
    • Ask the Employee Driver to provide name, date of birth, and daytime and evening phone numbers on the Medical Review Officer copy (copy #2) of the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control form. This is needed in the event the Medical Review Officer has to contact the Employee Driver directly if there are any questions about the Employee Driver’s test.
    • Complete necessary documentation on the test facility copy (copy #1) of the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control form to demonstrate the Chain of Custody (i.e., handling) of the urine specimen.
    • Give the Employee Driver the donor copy (copy #5) of the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control form.
    • Package and ship both sealed bottles and completed Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control form to a Certified Laboratory as quickly as possible.
  3. Staff at the Certified Laboratory will:
    • Determine if flaws exist. If flaws exist, the urine specimen is rejected for testing.
    • Open only the "A" bottle (primary specimen) and conduct a screening test. Urine specimens that screen positive will be analyzed again using a completely different testing methodology.
      • If the urine specimen tests negative in either test, the result will be reported as a verified negative test result.
      • Only if the urine specimen tests positive under both methods will the urine specimen be reported to the Medical Review Officer as a positive test.
    • Report the findings of the analysis of the "A" bottle (primary specimen) to the medical review officer.
    • Store the "A" (primary specimen) and "B" (split specimen) bottles for any reported positive, adulterated or substituted result for at least 12 months.
    • The Certified Laboratory must conduct specimen validity tests to determine if the urine specimen was adulterated or substituted.  Tests found to be adulterated or substituted are also reported to the Medical Review Officer and may be considered a refusal to test, which is the same as a positive test result.
  4. The medical review officer, upon receipt of the test result from the certified laboratory, will:
    • Review the paperwork for accuracy.
    • Report a verified Negative Test Result to the Designated Employer Representative.
    • If the result is positive, conduct a telephonic interview with the Employee Driver to determine if there is a legitimate medical reason for the result. If a legitimate medical reason is established, the Medical Review Officer will report the result to the Designated Employer Representative as negative. If not, the Medical Review Officer will report the result to the Designated Employer Representative as positive.
    • If the result is an adulterated or substituted test, conduct a telephonic interview with the Employee Driver to determine if there is a legitimate medical reason for the result. If a legitimate medical reason is established, the Medical Review Officer will report the result to the Designated Employer Representative as a cancelled test. If not, the Medical Review Officer will report the result to the Designated Employer Representative as a refusal, which is the same as a positive test result.
    • Report a Positive Test Result to the Designated Employer Representative if:
      • Employee Driver refused to discuss the results with the medical review officer.
      • Employee Driver did not provide the Medical Review Officer with acceptable medical documentation to explain the positive test result.

 

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