Types Of A Medical Review Officer ( Mro ) Testing Programs...

Private employers are not required to follow the SAMHSA guidelines but by doing so they can have better leg to stand on when it comes to the legal field. Many court decisions have been ruled in favor of these guidelines. These guidelines include having a Medical Review Officer (MRO) evaluate all tests. The guidelines also identify the five specific substances for use in the Federal drug testing programs and require a drug lab certified by SAMHSA to perform the analytical test. The five substances under the SAMHSA’s guidelines are amphetamines, THC, cocaine, opiates, and phencyclidine. Amphetamines include meth, speed, crank, ecstasy, and stimulant based ADD/ADHD medications. THC includes cannabinoids, marijuana, and hash. Cocaine includes†¦show more content†¦Hallucinogens include LSD, mushrooms, mescaline and peyote. Inhalants include paint, glue, and hairspray. Anabolic steroids include synthesized and muscle building hormones. Hydrocodone includes prescription medi cation such as Lortab, Vicodin, and Oxycodone. MDMA is known as Ecstasy and Molly (Drug Free Workplace Advisor). Drugs have specific windows of detection in the body. This detection window is defined as the amount of time after ingestion that the evidence of the drug and metabolites will remain in a sample. Employers do not have the responsibility to post or publicize drug detection windows. It is important that when teaching employees about substance abuse that they are taught that drugs do have detection windows and may remain in your body for days after use. Alcohol has a detection window of 1.5 hours for 1 ounce of alcohol. Amphetamines last in the body for 48 hours. Barbiturates have a detection window of 2 to 10 days. Benzodiazepines last in the employees system for 2 to 3 weeks. Cocaine lasts in the body from 2 to 10 days. The metabolite for heroin lasts in the body for only 1 day. Morphine can only be detected in the body for 2 to 3 days. LSD has a short window of only 8 hours. Marijuana depends on the use of the drug abuser. A casual user only shows the THC metabolite for 3 to 4 days. Chronic users can have THC metabolites in their body for multiple