Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol TestingPrograms 6-Acetylmorphine (6-AM) Testing
The following is a summary of the Interim Final Rule(IFR):
- The Department is amending certain provisions of its drugtesting procedures for 6 acetylmorphine (6-AM), a unique metabolitefor heroin.
- The IFR is intended to streamline the laboratory process foranalyzing and reporting 6-AM positive test results and is designedto facilitate Medical Review Officer (MRO) verification of 6-AMpositive results.
- Effective July 3, 2012:
a) For Laboratories:
- Laboratories will not be required to consult with MROs when6-AM is confirmed and there is no morphine detected at2000ng/mL;
- In such cases, laboratories will not be required to test formorphine at Limit of Detection (LOD); and
- Laboratories will not be required to report these 6-AM resultsto ODAPC.
b) For MROs:
- MROs will no longer be required to consult with laboratorieswhen 6-AM is confirmed and there is no morphine detected at2000ng/mL; and
- MROs will not be required to report these 6-AM results to andconsult with ODAPC.
- MROs will continue to adhere to 40.151(g) by not accepting anemployee’s assertion that there is a legitimate medical explanationfor the presence of 6-AM in a specimen.
- Public comments regarding the IFR will be accepted until June3, 2012.
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