Hello,

My healthcare system is looking at revising our policy on drug testing for reasonable suspicion.  Currently, we test any employee after they are involved in an MVA while driving for business if they are suspected to be impaired AND they are at fault for the MVA.  This applies to both vehicles that are part of our fleet and personal vehicles if being driven for business.  We are looking at drug testing after any MVA if the employee is at fault, without any regard for perceived impairment.  My questions are as follows:

1. If your institution performs for-cause drug testing after an MVA, how do you handle situations when the vehicle is in the process of transporting patients or other employees?  How soon do you test the drivers?  How do you handle drivers that are far away from your Occ Health department?

2. Do you do for-cause testing after any incident resulting in injury (not just MVAs)?  If so, what is your criteria for doing so?

Anyone who would be willing to share their policies or discuss directly can contact me at sumeet.batra@cookchildrens.org.  Thanks!

Sumeet Batra, MD, MPH

Medical Director, Occupational Health Services

Cook Children’s Health Care System

801 7^th Avenue

Fort Worth, TX 76104

(682) 885-3837

(682) 885-6717 (fax)