The Department of Transportation (DOT) has strict regulations when a non-negative drug test result comes from an employee. A negative drug test result must remain in the driver qualification file for every employee in order to operate compliantly and meet DOT recordkeeping requirements. The DOT has measures in place to counter an employee who claims the results are a false positive, called a split-specimen test. An admission of drug use has the same consequences as a positive result, as does a “Refusal to Submit.” When a valid prescription exists and is verified by the MRO, the results will be reported as a verified negative to the employer. The process of returning to work can be timely.
