The role of the Medical Review Officer is to review and interpret lab results obtained through the agency’s testing program. An essential element of drug testing is a mechanism for a medical review of the results. That mechanism is the Medical Review Officer (MRO).
The MRO’s role is an important safeguard in the testing process. The MRO practice is a business specialty area that requires technical knowledge, professional judgement, interpersonal skills, and an understanding of both legal and economic issues.
The MRO is required to be a licensed physician responsible for receiving laboratory results generated by a drug-testing program, who has knowledge of substance abuse disorders and has the appropriate medical training to interpret and evaluate an individual’s non-negative test result with his or her medical history and any other relevant biomedical information.
MRO drug testing services are important in ensuring compliance with drug testing regulations under federal and state governments, the Department of Transportation (DOT). These services may also reduce the employer’s exposure to liability and potential litigation caused by a drug-testing program.