Starting in January 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA) is establishing the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse). This new database will have information on holders of CDLs violations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) controlled substances and alcohol testing program.
As one of the Top 20 Medical Review Officers for DOT drug screening, MRO Express is here to help your drug and alcohol program navigate the waters of the new DOT Clearinghouse.
Per the FMCSA’s website, “The Clearinghouse rule requires FMCSA-regulated employers, Medical Review Officers (MROs), Substance Abuse Professionals (SAPs), consortia/third party administrators (C/TPAs), and other service agents to report to the Clearinghouse information related to violations of the drug and alcohol regulations in 49 Code of Federal Regulations, parts 40 and 382 by current and prospective employees.”
The MRO’s will have the following responsibilities:
- Register as user beginning Fall 2019
- Reporting verified positive drug test results
- Reporting refusal-to-test determinations based on the employee’s inability to provide a sufficient specimen for testing, or adulteration or substitution of a specimen.
The Clearinghouse aims to give FMCSA and employers the ability to identify drivers who are prohibited from driving a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) based on violations of the DOT drug and alcohol program. This will ensure drivers receive the required evaluation and treatment before going back to operating a CMV on public roads and that employers are able to identify drivers who may have committed a violation while working for one employer, but failed to subsequently inform another employer. Records of drug and alcohol program violations will remain in the Clearinghouse for five years, or until the driver has completed the return-to-duty process, whichever is later.
For more information on the Clearinghouse, please visit https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/.
DOT Clearinghouse Medical Review Officer Services
The new Federal Clearinghouse law will increase the workload of all MRO services. Medical Review Officers are likely to raise rates to offset the increase in staffing required to keep their clients legally in tact with the above Federal Law requirements.
Many Drug and Alcohol Testing programs who have once found it more profitable to house their programs in house with an in-house MRO may find the need in extra staffing an astounding negative on their bottom line.
But not MRO Express. We already have the staff in place to begin adding information to the FMCSA’s Clearinghouse in January, so you won’t have to worry about delays in getting your drug and alcohol program up to standard. MRO Express is a full service MRO company employing full time MRO’s free of clinical duties.
We have extensive experience with moving in house programs smoothly to a source capable to take over most responsibilities of drug and alcohol programs. MRO Express Medical Review Officer services maintains both negative and positive confirmations with no extra charges for Clearinghouse reporting. We offer 24 hr results reporting on most results from lab receipt. We also offer low rates on high volume positive confirmations with same day or 24 hrs turn around on most confirmations.
Contact us today for more information!