The Collection Process

As work seems to be picking up for the construction and trucking industry we start to see an increase in requests from employers to add employees and drivers. I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the proper steps when sending in a potential employee or driver to pre-employment test to insure a fast turnaround time for the test result.

One of the reasons C-DATA contracts LabCorp as our primary testing laboratory is they have a California based testing laboratory with a 24-hour operation and courier pick-up service. In addition, they have multiple labs nationwide for those clients that are not based in California or may be traveling across country. Therefore, the majority of the time there is a 24-hour or less turnaround time for negative results from when the donor goes into the collection site to the time the test result is reported to the employer.

Once the donor has completed the collection process at the collection site the split specimens (bottles A & B) are sent to the laboratory for testing. As the specimen is received at the lab it is accessioned (processed) by specimen number, assured that all the bar codes on the CCF (Custody and Control Form) and the specimen match, seals are in place, the donor’s initials are on the seals and there is the proper amount of urine needed for testing.

Next the CCF is reviewed for completion, accuracy and any comments noted in the comment section. Bottle A is opened and a small amount is extracted into a vial within a tray and sent to be tested for the 5 drugs, Marijuana metabolites, Cocaine metabolites, Amphetamines, Opiates metabolites and Phencyclidine, as well as validity tested for dilution, substitution or adulteration.

Providing that the specimen tested as negative, the lab would report the data to the MRO (Medical Review Officer) which must not be associated with the lab, and the remaining urine destroyed.

Once the MRO receives the data from the lab they are to review the information on both copies of the CCF (Copy 1 -Laboratory copy and Copy 2 - MRO copy) to be sure it is consistent with the result reporting and completed correctly. If everything is correct, the MRO is to check the negative box on the lower portion of the CCF, provide their name, initial, and date the verification statement.

The results of the test are then reported to the DER (Designated Company Representative) in a confidential manner as requested by the employer’s method of choice: e-mail, fax, phone etc.

So, as you can see, this is a somewhat complicated process with many steps that is all normally completed in less then 24-hours. It also important to note that many labs receive between 5,000 to 15,000 specimens a day!

 

Steps to Help Insure
Proper Collections

One of the biggest collection site problems we experience at C-DATA is clients do not check their updated collection site list before proceeding to a collection site. Many times because it may be a site they have used in the past they assume it is still available, but there are times that the site is either no longer an authorized site, has moved, is no longer in business, no longer performs DOT collections, closed for lunch or changed their hours of operation, do not offer BAT (Breath Alcohol Testing), or in remote areas require an appointment. These are all common reasons why donors and employee DER’s need to call first!

A collection site list is issued at the time of enrollment, each year with your renewal packet, it is also posted and constantly updated on our website at c-data.com or you can contact C-DATA at (800) 820-9314 for all our locations or a location close to you.

We always suggest that you call the site if possible before proceeding; inform them that you or an employee is coming in for a DOT drug screen collection and/or Breath Alcohol Screening (if required) for C-DATA and ask them to check that they have the pre-printed Federal CCF (Custody and Control Form) for C-DATA. Many C/TPA’s Consortuim/Third Party Administrator) require the donor to bring the CCF with them, so if the collection site is not a highly utilized site for C-DATA they are not always familiar with the collection instructions and may need to be reminded of the practical. Other times, a site may run out of the forms and neglect to contact LabCorp to re-order.

The donor needs to proceed to the collection site with the C-DATA clinic passport and a Picture ID. If you do not have a clinic passport available contact C-DATA and a clinic passport can be forwarded to the collection site on your behalf.

Once the donor arrives at an authorized collection site, they should inform the site personal that you are there for a random drug or drug & alcohol collection for C-DATA. At that time they may hand the personal the C-DATA clinic passport to be given to the collector or hold on to it and give it to the collector when called to collect.

Once the collection process has commenced it is extremely important that the donor does not leave the collection site until the collection process is complete and the donor has been given his/her copy of the CCF.

I would like to remind everyone the importance of testing immediately once you have been notified, especially owner-operators.

Also, it is extremely important that employers do not forewarn the covered-employee until you have actually directed them to proceed to the collection site. As I have mentioned in the past, it is not acceptable to hand the driver a notice and tell them they need to go at the end of the day or I have heard of employers giving the employee the notice and telling them to have it done by the end of the week. With the vast availability of a variety of adulterants today or the possibility of a dilute specimen by drinking excess amounts of liquids the donor should not be offered the opportunity by extending the time limit to test.

Delay in Test Results
Below I have listed some of the reasons that may cause a result to be delayed:

• Collected late in the afternoon after the courier service has picked up for the day.
  
• Remote area with no courier pick up, resulting in specimen having to be shipped DHL.
  
• Selecting a MRO reporting method such as mail.
  
• Collector did not enter the company location code on the CCF (Custody & Control Form) – If the lab or the MRO does not know what company to report the result to it goes into the C-DATA default account, until we are able to track who was the donor.
  
• The collector did not use a C-DATA CCF.
  
• The result went into further testing due to adulteration, substitution or drug metabolites were found.
  
• The collector made a correctable error such as:
  
  • The donor’s signature is missing on the CCF.
  • The certifying scientist’s signature is missing on the lab copy for a positive, substituted or invalid result.
    
  • The collector used a non Federal form or an expired Federal form for the collection.
  • The collector failed to mark the temperature box on the CCF.
    
  • The donor signature is missing.
    
• Rare circumstances which are weather related.

Once you have received a copy of the CCF from the donor you can contact your C-DATA Representative to ask them to assist in tracking the process, limiting the chances of a test result being delayed.

Do not hesitate to call C-DATA if you feel there is an immanent situation, in most cases there is a quick solution to the situation that we can correct before it becomes a major problem.

Respectfully,

Lonnie