Medical Review Officer Interpretation of Urine Drug Test Results.

Federal regulations, some state statutes, and company programs have created a position for physicians to serve as medical review officers and interpret urine drug test results. This article is intended to provide the medical review officer with an overview of commonly-tested drugs and factors that may affect analytical results. In addition, the sources of legitimate explanations for a positive test are discussed. Legitimate explanations may include the use of prescription and non-prescription medication, foodstuffs, occupational exposure to drugs, and drugs that metabolize to substances that are tested. Physicians serving as medical review officers must be familiar with the legal, medical, and toxicological issues of urine drug testing.