R 291649Z SEP 15
MARADMIN 479/15
CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MF//
SUBJ/MARINE CORPS DRUG TESTING PROGRAM/AMPLIFYING GUIDANCE//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MF/YMD:20110411//
AMPN/REF A IS MARINE CORPS ORDER 5300.17 (MARINE CORPS SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAM).//
POC/E.HOLLINS/CIV/UNIT:HQMC MFCP-1/-/TEL:703-784-9526/
EMAIL: ERIC.C.HOLLINS(AT)USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  This MARADMIN revises criteria for Medical Officer (MO) review and provides amplifying guidance for positive urinalysis drug testing results.
2.  Currently a MO reviews all drug test positives and makes “no wrongful use” or “wrongful use” determinations based on individual Marine medical records per reference (a).
3.  Effective 1 October 2015, the MO is no longer required to review and make a determination on illicit drug positives.  The MO will now review and make a “no wrongful use” or “wrongful use” determination on prescription drug positives not cleared as a legitimate prescription by the drug laboratory.
4.  MO review process 
    a.  The Drug Demand Reduction Coordinator (DDRC) or Substance Abuse Counseling Center (SACC) representative provides the results of every prescription drug positive, via memorandum, to the local Military Treatment Facility (MTF).
    b.  The MO, a physician qualified to interpret drug test results, reviews all prescription drug positives to determine if positive prescription drug results may be related to medical care.  For prescription drug use to be legitimate (aka “no wrongful use”), the Marine must have a valid prescription from a MTF medical provider or have recently undergone surgical or dental procedures where prescription drugs were administered.  The MO determines whether the prescription drug use was “no wrongful use” or “wrongful use” and notifies the command in a memorandum, via the DDRC, within 15 days of receiving the positive result.
    c.  The DDRC enters the MO’s determination into the Internet Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory Portal (IFTDTL) within 48 hours of receiving the signed memorandum.
    d.  If the MO’s determination is “no wrongful use,” no further action is required by the command.
    e.  If the MO confirms the drug use was not legitimate, the DDRC or SACC representative notifies the unit commander of the MO’s “wrongful use” determination, via memorandum.  The unit commander then initiates the command confirmation process in accordance with reference (a).
    f.  The DDRC/SACC representative maintains all MO review memoranda for a period of 2 years per reference (a).
5.  Illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, spice, phencyclidine (PCP), heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), barbiturates, ecstasy, and d-methamphetamine have no medical use, and therefore positive test results for these drugs will not undergo MO review.  DDRCs will not be required to make an entry into IFTDTL for marines who test positive for these types of drugs.  Commanding Officers are directed to initiate the command confirmation process as outlined in reference (a).
6.  Marines undergoing the command confirmation will be removed from the urinalysis testing pool until completion of legal procedure.
7.  Reference (a) is being updated to reflect these changes.
8.  This MARADMIN is applicable to the active and reserve components.
9.  Release authorized by LtGen M. A. Brilakis, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.//