Thursday, June 26, 2008
DOT rule aims to thwart manipulation of commercial driver drug tests
Transportation safety officials plan to close a loophole in a drug and alcohol testing policy that may have allowed commercial motor vehicle drivers to use products that manipulate test results.
The Department of Transportation published a final rule (.pdf file) in the June 25 Federal Register that amends provisions of the department's drug and alcohol testing procedures to require mandatory validity testing for urine specimens in an effort to help detect specimens that may have been adulterated, diluted or substituted. The final rule, which goes into effect Aug. 25, also intends to thwart manufacturers of adulterate specimens by no longer disseminating information on which adulterants laboratories are testing for and the scientific cutoff levels at which laboratories are testing them.
DOT officials said the rule's goal is to create consistency with the requirements of the Department of Health and Human Services.