What Recourse Do I Do Have With An "Unsuitable" Test Result?
Director of Medical Review
National Medical Review Offices, Inc.
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http:www.employeeinfo.com
In an ideal world, a drug test result would be positive or negative, pass or fail. But every once in awhile, an employer may be faced with the mysterious "specimen unsuitable for testing" result.
What does it mean exactly? And is it an immediate cause for concern?
The unsuitable test result simply means the lab was unable to test the specimen due to a variety of reasons. It could mean the specimen was adulterated or substituted, but it may not. There are several legitimate (prescribed) medications that can skew testing results, rendering them "unsuitable."
For example, some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, Asacol (mesalamine), aspirin, Atlansil, Cordarone, Cipro, Ponstel, Ponstan, Flagyl, Azulfidine, Azopyrin, Tolectin, Grisactin or Clinoril are medications which can affect the testing procedure.
It is the role of the MRO (Medical Review Officer) to first contact the laboratory forensic toxicologist to obtain more specific information about the unsuitability of the specimen. If the finding concludes that the test should properly be reported as adulterated, the MRO will change the result from "unsuitable for testing" to an adulterated test.
The MRO may request an aliquot of the sample be sent to another laboratory for adulterant testing. If no evidence is found to change the findings to adulterated, the MRO will contact and question the donor regarding adulteration and use of prescription medication.
Should the donor admit to adulterating the sample, the test will be verified as adulterated. If the donor denies adulterating the sample and after explaining the limits of disclosure, the MRO will inquire as to medication the donor may be taking which may have interfered with the testing.
If the MRO identifies the presence of an interfering substance or is provided another reasonable medical explanation, the MRO will cancel the test and notify the employer the reason for the cancellation and that no further action is required unless a "negative" report is necessary (pre-employment, return to duty, etc.). For a DOT post-accident or reasonable suspicion test, you can ask to have the test sent for toxicology or simply re-test. If no legitimate medical explanation is found, the MRO will inform the donor and the employer that another specimen should be collected as soon as possible under direct observation. DOT mandated testing has provisions for specimen collection under direct observation in certain situations.
In non-mandated testing, the regulations may not be the same. For non-regulated testing, where the donor has a prescription for a medication that would render the test unsuitable, and the MRO can find no evidence of substance abuse, the MRO will report the test as negative. All others will be reported as "canceled, sample unsuitable for testing."
The action taken by the employer will be determined by the employer's drug free workplace policy. You may send a donor for a retest under direct observation, unless it is prohibited by state law.
Whether you are mandated by the DOT for testing or not, any employer can opt to request additional testing for adulterants. This option however, can carry a $200 price tag.