Receiving a Call From the MRO - What Does It Mean?

A Medical Review Officer (MRO) is a licensed physician, trained and certified to review lab results and validate the results of a drug test.

There are three steps in the MRO Review process:

1. The MRO receives laboratory confirmed drug test results.
2. The MRO determines if there is a legitimate medical explanation for a laboratory confirmed non-negative, adulterated or substituted result.
3. The MRO reviews and reports a verified result to the employer in a timely and confidential manner.

In order for the MRO to contact the "Donor" - the person who provided the sample - the MRO must have a valid phone number where the donor can be reached. The Chain of Custody (COC) form is essential at this point in the MRO review process. On every COC form, donors must provide both a day and an evening phone number should the MRO need to discuss the results of a recent drug screen.

Delays can occur when this area is left blank or an incorrect phone number is provided. Like all other service providers, the MRO performs an important function in the verification of drug screen results. To avoid reporting a drug screen as "Positive - No Contact," donors must return an MRO's phone call as quickly as possible. If a valid phone number is not provided at all, the MRO must report the drug test based solely upon the lab toxicology report.

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Posted: August 17, 2021