Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs

The US Department of Transportation sent out the following notification by email on Friday, May 15.  At the end of the DOT notice is additional information from the Health and Human Services Department regarding the proposed amendments to drug testing programs.

 

 

  United States

  Department of Transportation

Today in the Federal Register, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published two important notices.  Specifically, the HHS:

Attached is the HHS email alert regarding these two important notices.

Because the Department of Transportation (DOT) must follow the scientific guidelines of the HHS for DOT-regulated drug testing laboratory procedures, participants in the DOT transportation industry drug testing program should be aware of the important issues that HHS is considering.  Any final rule issued by the HHS regarding these proposals will be taken into consideration and may affect the DOT testing program under 49 CFR Part 40, but only after the DOT conducts its own rulemaking.

We believe that employers, employees, and testing service providers involved in the DOT testing program should be aware of the HHS Federal Register documents.  We recommend that DOT program participants review the HHS proposals and, if they have views or concerns to express, provide comment to the HHS.  

We urge interested persons to read the HHS documents carefully and to provide any comments directly to the HHS Docket.  The HHS documents can be viewed at:

·         Proposed Mandatory Guidelines for Oral Fluid Testing in the Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-05-15/pdf/2015-11523.pdf)

·         Proposed Revised Mandatory Guidelines for Urine Testing in the Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-05-15/pdf/2015-11524.pdf)

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The following is from the Department of Health and Human Services

 

Provide Feedback on the Proposed Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs for Oral Fluid and Urine

 

The HHS and SAMHSA/CSAP/DWP has published two Federal Register Notices on the proposed revisions to the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (Guidelines) for Urine (URMG) and for Oral Fluid (OFMG) for the 60-day public comment period.

The OFMG establish the standards and technical requirements for:

From the inception of this Program, the urine specimen was the only specimen authorized for collection and testing for a federal agency employee subject to drug testing under the Guidelines.  However, due to advances in science and technology, the OFMG will provide federal executive branch agencies with the option of collecting and testing an oral fluid specimen.  The OFMG will provide flexibility for the federal agency DFWP to address unique testing needs and remove the requirement to collect only a urine specimen. Federal agencies, Medical Review Officers, and federally-regulated industries using the OFMG will continue to adhere to all other federal standards established for workplace drug testing programs.

Additionally, the proposed Guidelines will expand the testing panel for both oral fluid and urine to include four additional Schedule II prescription medications (hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone).

Review the Proposed Oral Fluid Mandatory Guidelines

 

How You Can Provide Feedback

Online. Submit comments on this regulation at http://www.regulations.gov/#!home. Follow the "submit a comment" instructions.

Mail or Hand Delivered. Mail your comments to the following address:

SAMHSA
Attention: Division of Workplace Programs (DWP)
1 Choke Cherry Road

Room #7-1045
Rockville, MD 20857

NOTE: If you intend to hand deliver your comments, call 240-276-2600 in advance to schedule a drop off date and time.

NOTE: Due to staff and resource limitations, SAMHSA is unable to accept comments by fax.