As the DER (Designated Employer Representative), you are responsible for the drug and alcohol testing program for your company. You are the key contact for all service providers involved in the testing process. You are the person whom the TPA (Third-Party Administrator) has permission to speak to about drug testing matters and company employees. You are the person the collection site may contact if there is a problem with the test. And, you are the person whom the MRO (Medical Review Officer) will contact in certain instances related to drug test results.
Because you are an integral in the process and timely communication is essential, you must always be available and accessible. Therefore, it is critically important that you have a secured email address, direct phone line and after-hours line so that either the TPA, Collection Site or MRO can get hold of you at any time to discuss drug and alcohol testing or reporting matters that may be urgent and are typically confidential in nature. You should not provide a general company phone number or email address as your contact information!
TSS, Inc. strongly suggests that you also provide contact information for a second company staff member who can be reached as a backup when you are absent or unavailable. At a minimum, we recommend you update contact information with your TPA yearly, or whenever there are changes in email or phone numbers, or when the person in the DER position (or their backup) changes.
Communication with your TPA is the key to a program that runs well and keeps your company in compliance.