Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/946815
palletcentral.com PalletCentral • January-February 2018 25 • Random – CDL drivers must be randomly tested throughout the year according to defined selection criteria. • Reasonable suspicion – Drivers who appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol can be immediately tested and employers must train CDL driver supervisors to detect the symptoms of driver impairment. • Return-to-duty – Required for drivers who tested positive, refused, or otherwise violated the prohibitions and who have completed the return-to-duty process with a DOT-qualified substance abuse professional. • Follow-up – Required for drivers who tested positive, refused, or otherwise violated the prohibitions, who completed the return-to- duty process with a DOT-qualified substance abuse professional, and tested negative for a return-to-duty test. The original drug testing regulations were based on HHS guidelines, which required cocaine and marijuana to be screened by federal agencies, and also authorized the testing of federal employees for the use of PCP, amphetamines and opiates. As a result, in 1989, the DOT published a final rule incorporating the HHS guidelines of that time, and establishing the 5-panel test that included all of the drugs for which HHS tested. Therefore, prior to the new requirement, the drug testing laws covered marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and phencyclidine (PCP). Testing for MDA and MDEA was added in 2010, also to confirm with changes to the HHS regulations. The 2018 changes add four semi-synthetic opioids to the DOT panel: hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone; the commercial names include Vicodin, Percodan, Lortab, Oxycontin, Percocet, Norco, Dilaudid, and Exalgo. These opioids are often included in private sector drug testing programs, and have been associated with widespread addiction and overdose issues, but had not been a mandated part of the DOT tests. The final rule clarifies that DOT does not have authority to add substances such as methadone or synthetic cannabinoids to the drug testing panel, without the scientific and technical expertise of HHS supporting it. The HHS is limited currently to testing Schedule I and II drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Another change made was to delete MDEA as part of a confirmatory test from the mandatory panel, and inclusion of MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine) as an initial test. These are psychedelic drugs also known as "ecstasy." There are additional new requirements for drug testing programs, but DOT has eliminated