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Drug and Alcohol Program Regulatory Updates. Transportation Disadvantaged Annual Conference August 2009. Welcome. Diana Byrnes, Substance Abuse Management Specialist Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR)
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Drug and Alcohol Program Regulatory Updates Transportation Disadvantaged Annual Conference August 2009
Welcome • Diana Byrnes, Substance Abuse Management Specialist • Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) • Project Manager for the FDOT Substance Abuse Management Oversight and Technical Assistance Program • Transportation Safety Institute Associate Staff Instructor • Certified Substance Abuse Program Administrator (C-SAPA)
Course Goal • To inform you of the drug and alcohol testing regulation amendments that went into effect on August 25, 2008 • To educate you in key areas of potential non-compliance within your testing program
Regulatory Updates Effective August 25, 2008
Amendments- Background • Overall purpose: • To make DOT required drug testing harder to “beat”. • To require specimen validity testing at all DHHS certified laboratories • To enhance the direct observation procedures • The manufacturing of adulterants, urine substitutes and prosthetic devices have made this necessary
Available Products GOOGLEResults 1 - 10 of about 1,040,000 for beat a drugtest. (0.18 seconds)
Breakdown of Amendments to Part 40 Specimen Validity Testing Required-40.89 • What it means: Laboratories must test specimens for adulterants and substitutions using DHHS guidelines • Who does it effect:Labs • What you need to do: Update your policy to reflect this change (FL DOT Model Policy includes this is Section 16)
Breakdown of Amendments to Part 40 Direct Observation Procedures Change • What it means: Whenever there is a specific reason to believe a donor is attempting to tamper with or evade a test, a recollection under direct observation must take place • Who does it effect: Donors and Collectors • What you need to do: Make policy changes (FL DOT Model Policy includes this in Section 15)
Breakdown of Amendments to Part 40 Three new behaviors that constitute a Refusal to Test • What does this mean:additional measures taken tosecure the process from those attempting to evade or tamper with tests Who does this effect: Donors, collectors, employers • What you need to do: YouMUST include all of the behaviors in your policy (FL DOT Model Policy lists them in Section 14)
Breakdown of Amendments to Part 40 MRO can use a medical evaluation to determine prohibited drug use following an invalid result • What it means: When a (-) result is required and only an invalid result can be produced via urine, this provides a means to obtaining a negative result • Who it effects: Donors who produce invalid results, MROs, Employers • What do you need to do: Add this language to your policy (FL DOT Model addresses this inSection 20)
Breakdown of Amendments to Part 40 Negative Dilute Retesting • What it means:When a negative dilute result with a creatinine level between 5ng/ml and 20 ng/ml is reported; you are authorized to conduct a second collection. The second collection may not be directly observed and is the final result. • Who it effects:Donors, Employers • What do you need to do:Add this language to your policy, implement consistently (reference FL DOT Model Section 17)
Additional Information Regarding Negative Dilute Results Negative Dilute Results with a creatinine level between 2 and 5 ng/ml require retest under direct observation • What it means:Specimen that the human body can rarely produce • Who does it effect:Donors, collectors, Employers • What do you need to do:Check results carefully, when levels are not indicated, contact MRO. Always follow MRO instructions on how to proceed
Breakdown of Amendments to Part 40 No Split Testing of Invalid results • What it means:Donors will not be able to request that their B bottle (split specimen) be tested at another lab when the A bottle produced an invalid result • Who it effects: Donors with invalid results • What you need to do: add statement to policy (reference FL DOT Model Policy Section 21)
Breakdown of Amendments to Part 40 Stop Publication of Lab Methods • What it means: laboratory testing and analysis methods will no longer be published • Who it effects: The multi-million dollar industry that manufactures products designed to “beat” DOT drug tests! • What you need to do: Nothing
Breakdown Lab Reports to DOT • What does it mean: drug testing laboratories must report to DOT semi-annual statistical summaries on all of their DOT testing • Who does it effect: Labs and DOT • What do you need to do: Nothing
Return to Duty and Follow Up Tests New Ruling • July 1, 2009, the US Court of Appeals ruled; stay has been lifted. DOT will issue a Final Rule providing a start date for mandatory direct observation collections for all follow-up and return-to-duty tests. Until then, direct observation for these tests will remain an employer’s option.
Action Items for Employers • Policy Items that MUST be addressed: • Specimen Validity Testing Required • Addition of three new behaviors that constitute a refusal to test • Circumstances that lead to a directly observed collection • Directly observed collection procedures “will be in accordance with 49CFR Part 40, as amended” • If second chance: RTD and Follow Up direct observation option
Anticipated Problem No D.O.C.’s @ P.S.C.’s • What it means:LabCorp and Quest Patient Service Centers will no longer conduct directly observed collections • Who it effects:Employers of both Zero Tolerance and Second Chance programs • What you need to do:Establish alternate collection site resources; and/or identify both a male and female representative from your agency that is willing to be an observer
Action Items for Employers • Contact collection sites; ask if they are aware of the changes to Part 40 and how they would handle a directly observed collection • Identify an Agency Representative who is willing to be an observer when a routine collection at a PSC turns into a DOC (you’ll need one male & one female)
Five of the Most Common Areas of Non-Compliance And how to avoid them!
#1Most Common Area of Non-Compliance • Collection Sites: the weakest link • Collection Site compliance= your compliance • Provide collectors with DOT collection guidelines and awareness resources (such as the new DOT video: 10 Steps to Collection Site Security and Integrity available on the ODAPC website) • Inspect sites for security measures • Audit the site informally when you are called for testing (reference: FDOT’s Collection Site Monitoring Toolkit) • Conduct unannounced visits that include an interview with a site staff member
#2 Most Common Area of Non-Compliance • Random Testing • Must cover all hours of operation and all days of operation (weekends and holidays) • Must be spread throughout entire testing period • Never “group test” • Never give advanced notice to employees • Use alternate selections properly • Cancelled tests do not count toward minimums • Update employee testing pool prior to each draw
# 3 Most Common Area of Non-Compliance • Post Accident Testing Decisions • Use decision and documentation form every time- whether or not you test • Use only the FTA criteria to decide to test/or not • Always conduct BOTH drug and alcohol tests • Train your supervisors • Make arrangements in advance for after hours testing resources • Conduct NON DOT testing if your agency feels testing is always necessary following an accident
#4 Most Common Area of Non-Compliance • Policy Issues: • Substance Abuse Policy does not include all of the FTA required elements • Policy items included under an agency’s own authority contradict DOT/FTA regulations (e.g.; FTA post accident criteria not used– testing conducted in all cases) • Failure to document employee receipt of policy revisions/updates
# 5 Most Common Area of Non-Compliance • Pre-employment Background Checks-40.25 • Get consent form signed by employee (see handout) • Check with DOT covered employers going back 2 years • Positive drug tests, Positive alcohol tests or any refusals to test • Make at least three attempts, document attempts • If employee’s past reveals a previous violation, employee must complete SAP evaluation, treatment and RTD before performing s-s duty
Resources • ODAPC website: http://www.dot.gov/ost/dapc/video.html • What to get here: • New video and posters on collection site security and integrity • Collection instructions for direct observation • DOT Employer and DOT Employee Handbooks about the drug and alcohol testing program • Updated Part 40 and FAQs • List of certified labs
Resources Continued • FDOT/CUTR Substance Abuse Management Resource Site http://www.cutr.usf.edu/byrnessamsite • What to get here: • FDOT Model Policies for Zero Tolerance and Second Chance agencies • Collection Site Monitoring Toolkit • Collector Questionnaire for Employer-Collector Interview • Training Presentations • Notices of Upcoming Training Opportunities • Clean, Sober and Safe training video
This concludes our session~Thank you for joining us! Please feel free to contact me: Diana Byrnes byrnes@cutr.usf.edu 813-426-6980