MRO Training by MROs, for MROs
A practical one-day training programme equipping physicians with the knowledge, judgement and confidence required to undertake Medical Review Officer work.
FORMAT
One-day course
CLASS SIZE
Maximum 8 delegates
LOCATION
Bicester or on-site
COURSE FEE
£450 per delegate
Practical Expertise for a Complex Clinical Role
Combining real-world occupational medicine experience with specialist scientific expertise, this one-day programme is designed for physicians—particularly occupational physicians—who wish to undertake Medical Review Officer work.
The course equips participants with the skills and knowledge required to conduct medical reviews as either an internal MRO within an organisation or an external MRO supporting drug-testing laboratories and their clients. Participants will develop the competence and confidence to independently review workplace drug and alcohol test results, while strengthening their understanding of appropriate testing processes, emerging drug trends and the ethical responsibilities of the role.
What You Will Learn
The programme covers the principal clinical, procedural and communication responsibilities of an MRO, including:
Clinical interpretation of workplace drug and alcohol test results
Identifying possible medical explanations for test results
Evaluating Chain of Custody Forms
Verifying and recording results appropriately
Discussing results sensitively and effectively with donors
Conveying verified results to employers
Working with drug-testing laboratory toxicologists
Contributing to workplace policy development and compliance
Contributing to the preparation of Expert Witness Statements
Interactive Case-Based Learning
The training incorporates practical case studies, interactive discussions and active participation throughout the day. These are designed to deepen participants’ understanding of the MRO role and build confidence in applying clinical judgement to real workplace situations.
Particular attention is given to the ethical challenges that can arise when an MRO must both verify a donor’s result and advise an employer on that individual’s fitness for work. Delegates are encouraged to bring challenging issues from their own experience for discussion.
To support meaningful participation and allow sufficient time for discussion, each course is limited to a maximum of eight delegates.
Your Trainers
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Dr Anne Margaret Samuel
MSc, FRCP, FFOM. GMC No. 2405580.
Founding PartnerDr Anne Margaret Samuel is a Consultant Physician and Accredited Specialist in Occupational Medicine. She is a Medical Review Officer for workplace drug and alcohol testing and a General Medical Council Performance Assessor.
She was Chief Medical Officer for EDF Energy until 2013 and formerly Senior Employment Medical Adviser with the Health and Safety Executive. She lectures regularly on ‘Alcohol and Drugs in the Workplace’ on the Diploma in Occupational Medicine course of the Royal Society of Public Health.
Maggie’s special interest is in the risk management of work-related ill health, particularly mental ill health and early interventions to improve resilience and mental wellbeing at work.
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Dr Claire George
PartnerDr Claire George, MSc. PhD, has almost 30 years’ experience in clinical and forensic toxicology, more latterly specialising in workplace drug testing.
She has over 20 peer reviewed publications and has served in board positions on The International Association of Therapeutic Drug monitoring and Clinical Toxicology, the LTG (as Secretary, Vice Chairperson and Chairperson) and the European Worklace Drug Testing Society (EWDTS).
Claire has contributed to the review and publication of urine and oral fluid European workplace drug testing guidelines and lectures at Kings College, London and the University of Birmingham.