Terms To Know
TPA: (Third Party Administrator) Manages all, or part of an employer’s drug and alcohol testing program (DOT & Non DOT), including collections, maintain testing records, draw random lists and keep the employer compliant with DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing rules and regulations.
DOT: (Department of Transportation) Requires split specimen collections and strict adherence to 49 CFR Part 40 Procedures.
MRO: (Medical Review Officer) A licensed physician who is responsible for receiving and reviewing laboratory results generated by an employer’s drug testing program and who also evaluates medical explanations for certain drug test results.
COC: (Chain of Custody) The procedure used to document the handling of the urine specimen from the time the employee gives the specimen to the collector, until the specimen is destroyed.
BAT: (Breath Alcohol Test or Technician) A test that can evaluate the concentration of alcohol in a donor’s system with immediate results.
DER: (Designated Employee Representative) An employee authorized by the employer to take immediate action to remove employees from safety-sensitive duties, and to make required decisions in the testing and evaluation processes. This is the main person of contact who receives results and communicates with the drug testing company.
SAP: (Substance Abuse Professional) A person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
Collector: A person who instructs and assists employees at a collection site, who receives and makes an initial inspection of the specimen provided by those employees, and who initiates and completes the chain of custody.
Lab Based Urine Test: A urine test backed by a SAMHSA approved lab and goes through two levels of screening: an initial test and a confirmation test. The lab guarantees and stands by its results making employers legally protected and held harmless.
Instant Urine Test: A urine test yielding immediate results
Non-Negative: An instant test is considered non-negative when a drug shows up as positive on the cup. Non-negatives should be sent to a lab for confirmation so the employer can be legally protected.
Oral Fluid Test: A lab based drug test that provides a “blood-equivalent” result by measuring molecules similar to those found in blood plasma. Collected with a mouth swab.
Adulterated Specimen: A specimen that has been altered showing either an abnormal substance or concentration.
Substituted Specimen: A urine specimen with values that are not consistent with normal human urine.
Cold Sample: Occurs when a donor gives a urine sample that does not meet the temperature requirements on the drug testing cup. This usually means the sample was substituted or adulterated, so the donor will get one more try to give a sample up to temperature.