FMCSA Announces Plan to Create a Voluntary Driver Legal Drug Use Form

Federal trucking regulators have asked for public comment on a plan to create a voluntary driver medication form designed to help medical examiners determine if prescription drugs being taken by a driver could interfere with the driver’s ability to operate a commercial vehicle.

In a Nov. 25 Federal Register announcement, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said the new CMV Driver Medication Form grew out of concerns that some drivers could be using legal drugs that might render them a safety risk.

The idea of creating the form stems from a review by doctors who advised the agency in October 2014.

Although the FMCSA’s Medical Review Board said such prescribed drugs as OxyContin and Percodan should prevent a driver from being behind the wheel, they declined to recommend changes to the agency’s drug regulations because current rules allow drivers legal use of the drugs.

“Because there is moderate evidence to support the contention that the licit use of opioids increases the risk of motor vehicle crashes and impacts indirect measures of driver performance negatively, included was the recommendation that FMCSA develop a standardized medication questionnaire to assist the certified medical examiner when reviewing prescription medications that have been disclosed during the history and physical examination for CMV driver certification,” FMCSA said.

The agency said the form should include a listing of all medications and dosages prescribed, what medical conditions are being treated with the medications, and a statement by the driver’s physician that the driver is fit to drive when using the medications.