December 2005
Q&A - Team Member Highlights
Question: I am taking prescription medication. When I recently went for a drug test the collector would not write down the prescription information on the collection form.
Answer: Section 40.61(g) of the 49 CFR Part 40 states that as a collector “You must instruct the employee not to list medications that he or she is currently taking on the CCF. (The employee (donor) may take notes of medications on the back of the employee (donor) copy of the form for his or her own convenience, but these notes must not be transmitted to anyone else).”
If the donor should test positive for one of the five prohibited drugs the Medical Review Officer (MRO) will contact the donor and at that time the donor can discuss the prescription information with the MRO.
Holla!
My name is Martha Ayala; I am a C-DATA Customer
Service Specialist and the newest member of
our C-DATA Team. I started working for the
company on June of 2005, and became a permanent
member of the Team in September. I have extensive
experience in Customer Service and in the
Administrative field and I am both Bilingual
and Biliterate in Spanish and English.
I was born in Huntington Park, CA. I lived in Los Angeles County for most of my life and moved to Rancho Cucamonga about 2½ years ago with my husband and my three year old daughter Daniela. I was very fortunate to find a great job close to home with great people. My interests are interior decorating, shopping and spending time with my family.
I am the Customer Service Specialist (CSS) for the accounts that start with Company ID 3600 to 8999 and assist with the New Applications. I am one of three CSS that work with our Spanish speaking clients and have been assisting in converting some of our forms and literature into Spanish.
I have been trained as a Certified Professional Specimen Collector, as well as completed the course for Supervisor Training on alcohol misuse and controlled substances.
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting some of our new clients as well as some of our exciting clients, while attending to our C-DATA booth at both the International Trucking Show and Latino Truck Show.
It’s great to work at C-DATA, especially being able to use my first language that I am very familiar with.
I’m here to answer any questions or concerns anyone might have and can be reached at ext. 10.
¡Para toda mi gente, siéntanse en casa cuando llamen a C-DATA!
The Importance of a Random
Test Remaining Random
After years of being in this industry it is rare an issue will come up that still surprises us. This is a story that was recently shared with us that is one of those rare issues.
An employer received a call from a manager of a convenience market. The manager was calling to inform the employer that they would no longer allow the employer’s drivers in the market. The market was located between the route from the truck yard to the collection site. The manager explained that the drivers had been stopping at the market to use the microwave to heat a urine specimen before going to the collection site. They had even went as far as to have marked the microwave dial for the correct temperature setting needed until they could get to the collection site.
This is just one of the examples why it is imperative that employers ensure the test remain random until the employee is instructed to proceed immediately to the collection site. It is also recommended that the employer call the collection site to let them know the employee is coming in for a random drug and/or breath alcohol test (BAT), and document the time. If an employee does not arrive in a reasonable amount of time the employer can consider the test a refusal. Many employers’ will give the notice to the driver in the morning and tell them to test at the end of the day. Again once the donor is notified they are to proceed immediately to the collection site.
With the exception of marijuana, most drugs can be significantly out of the donor’s system within 48 to 72 hours. Also with the availability of open market adulterates, masking agents, clean urine samples or the possibility of dilution it is understandable as to why the collection process is taken very seriously.
In the case of the Owner/Operator the same applies, once you have received your notice you are to proceed immediately to the collection site.
All Random Testing for 2005
to
be Completed by December 26th
As required by DOT regulations, we are to randomly test each pool a minimum of 50% for drugs and 10% for alcohol per calendar year. Each year we base our random selections with the ultimate goal to reach these requirements, therefore all random testing must be completed prior to December 26th to allow for the testing and reporting process to complete by December 31st.
It has been our experience that the enforcement agents frown on those employers that choose to wait to test their employees with justifiable cause. Each time an employer waits too long to test their employee additional random notices have to be generated to ensure the overall testing requirements are met.
New Controls on Certain
Over-the-Counter Cold Medicine:
We appear to have a methamphetamine (Meth) epidemic
in the U.S., with escalating emergency room and
treatment admissions for methamphetamine users.
Pharmaceutical companies have had to reformulate
over-the-counter cold remedies to remove pseudoephedrine,
a key chemical in the manufacture of meth. Pharmacies
have had to take the remedies off the shelf and
place them under controlled access. What’s
the problem? Meth is easy to make, there is large
profit in its manufacture and sale, it is highly
euphoric, the penalties for its use and sale are
not as great as for heroin and other drugs and
it is the “in drug” for people to use.
The downside? It is almost as dependence-producing
as cocaine, more dependence-producing than alcohol,
it can fairly easily lead to overdose, and it
may have long-lasting effects on brain function.
Source: www.utexas.edu/research/asrec
(July 25, 2005)
Renewal Packets
Be sure to review the enclosed cover sheet of your renewal packet for updated changes. Although we make every effort to inform our clients through our compliance manual, annual renewal packets, CDTOA Transportation News and our Website, we have found many clients do not read the enclosed information which may cause problems with obtaining statistical reports, drug screen results, or confusion at collection sites.
All of us at C-DATA wish everyone a safe, happy and healthy Holiday Season!
Lonnie
Johnson
C-DATA Operations Director
Note that throughout this article, when I refer to the applicable federal regulations, I’m referring to CFR 49, Parts 40 & 382; these regulations can be found in Section 5 of the AADT Company Compliance Manual or in the AADT website at www.aadrugtesing.com under links at DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance at www.dot.gov/ost/dapc or Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration at www.fmcsa.dot.gov.