DOT Drug Testing Rule – What it Means

On November 13, 2017 a new DOT drug testing rule was published. The rule added “four semi-synthetic opioids (i.e., hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone)” to the drug testing panel. The DOT drug testing rule added “methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) as an initial test analyte and removed the testing for methylenedioxyethylamphetaime (MDEA).”

How Does the New DOT Drug Testing Rule Affect Those Involved in the DOT Drug and/or Alcohol Testing Process?

Effective January 1, 2018, this rule will mean an expanded drug testing panel for employees. Employees working in a safety-sensitive position will also be tested for drugs such as “OxyContin®, Percodan®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Lortab®, Norco®, Dilaudid®, Exalgo®.” Employees will not be tested for MDEA any longer.

Due to the new DOT drug testing rule, employers are not required to “submit blind specimens to laboratories.”

In addition to the expanded panel, this new rule ensures that “in the DOT testing program, only urine specimins can be collected and analyzed at HHS-certified laboratories.”

To read the full document of rules and regulations passed on November 13, 2017, click here.

If your employees have been affected by a failed DOT-mandated drug or alcohol test, SAP Referral Services can help. To learn more about the services offered by SAP Referral Services, click here.

SAP Referral Services (SRS) is the leading facilitator for mandated substance abuse evaluations. SRS maintains an extensive network of qualified providers in more than 3,000 locations nationwide for testing violations that originate from any of the DOT’s modes including FMCSA, FAA, FRA, FTA, USCG and PHMSA, or a company’s internal drug and alcohol testing policy.