Random Drug testing

[missy500]

I recently was given a random urnine test in my pain management dr's office.  I showed positive for something that I hadn't been taken.  She wouldn't even listen to me,  and I wasn't even offered a re-test.  She is already refusing treatment and not going to fill perscriptions anymore,  because of this.  The fear that I have is there was no markings on the container,  so there was no way then can prove it was mine.  Should I not be able to be restested,  and should they have not looked at the person after me, to see if their test looked like my should look.  Can she refuse to treat me without at least retesting?  I am devasted here, because I have been when her for over 3 years, now,  and don't feel that I should lose my Dr,  for a false positve on a test.  I should at least be given another test shouldn't I?  Is this not required?

[sandee1818]

I forgot to mention the slip that goes to the lab has your meds you said you took and when and the dose your prescribed, so you also sign that saying this is your word and true.

[sandee1818]

Of course your wife is right because no one is perfect and even though Dr's feel their system is fool proof it often is not. I would suggest that PM Pt's ask to initial the container and the slip that gets sent to the lab. This is the only fool proof way I have seen so far. The nurse will give you the cup with the sticker with your name and so on and you use the cup and when the nurse receives it you initial it is yours and you acknowledge that. This way there is no mistakes unless it is at the lab and that is out of our hands.

[Coolio Hernendez]

Yea but if you did not have any in your system then that would mean you were not taking them and then they will think you are selling them....

To Missy

That really is not good....I dont know what i would do......I mean if a person working there just moved stuff....then you could have got hosed and some other guy gets away with being dirty......My wife worked at a DR and she said mistrakes happen.....

[babydm29]

The same thing happened to me a month ago Just that for some reason my drug screen that my dr did on me came back Negative. I was with that pain dr for 5 years without any problems before and then He flat out refused to see me cause he said that I wasent taking my meds when I was everyday without fail. Its really hard to fight they feel they are always right and you have no say. I have been fighting for a month now and Im not getting anywhere.. There isent even anouther Dr in my area that deals with Pain meds. I even requested a new test and they wouldnt do it. But I went to my PCP and he did a retake the same day the results came in and those too were Negative. He is dumbfounded and has no idea whats going on. I think what im gonna do and it might even be helpful for you is to go and get a blood test done, either at the hospital or at you PCP office. I was on Methadone and my pain dr cut me off just like that. I dont know what meds you are on but your Dr should give you atleast 30 days more worth of treatments untill you can find a new Dr. Mine offered that to me But when I asked to make an appointment they kept telling me they are booked up.
I know what you are going threw is really hard and I feel for you. I have done alot of serching on the computer about False/Negatives and I came up with alot about False/posatives. There is soo much stuff that if you eat it it can make your test all messed up. I really hope that you can work this all out I really know what you are going threw. Good luck.

[brownie6366]

I was tested everytime I came in to refill my meds that was every 3 months.  I never took anything other than the medication they prescribed and I had a false positive.  They questioned me and I told them that I didn't take anything I wasn't supposed to.  So they refilled my meds for 30 days and made me come back and re-test.  That test came out clean and they continued me back on my 3 months.  So they can re-test you if they want to.  I guess it depends on how badly the Dr. has been burned by other patients.  I know the place I went to actually had lawsuits because of the pill poppers coming in and getting pain meds and getting busted by the police.  They also made me sign a contract and took my photo.  It seems harsh but maybe you should find another Dr. that is a little more lenient on you.

good luck.

[Mollyrae]

What did they find in your screen?

[sandee1818]

Your Dr has to treat you for thirty  days or until you find another Dr. If she refuses to do this you could claim pt abandonment. If you signed a contract and it states if you dishonor any conditions she will cease treatment then you have no recourse. I know that these things happen and mistakes do happen and really all you can do is try and get her to retest you or find a new PM. I am sorry this has happened to you. It is cruel to be dropped like your nothing and have no recourse. Try and be positive, if you think a mix up happened have you told the Dr this? Usually there is a procedure to make sure mistakes do not happen but unfortunately they do.

[Toomanyadvil]

There are two UA tests that are commonly used. One is called Immunoassay done either in a lab or by rapid drug tust.
The other is called Gas/Chromotography-mass spectromentry(GCMS)
When you fail the Immunoassay or it is thought to come up wrong in some way, it's supposed to be tested again by the GCMS.

Also Codein comes up in a UA as Morphine metabolites(a metabolite is what is left in your urine as your medication is metabolized by your body. Metabolites have specific characteristics of the medication and are what a DR or Lab sees on a drug test or in a drug level)
Hydrocodone comes up as hydromorphone metabolites.
So if your DR is not aware that this can happen it will be seen as abuse of another medication they did not prescribe to you.

I also wanted to mention that you will want to get a copy of your medical records. Your DR has seen this as breaking there rules and the abuse of drugs or prescription medications so will unfortunitly redflag(a note indicating a patient may have a substance abuse problem) or blacklist you(a note indivating that you DO have a substance abuse problem)
Those notes are made for other DR's so that they can have a heads up as to risks of treating someone.
By getting your medical records you wil be able to see what is in the chart and can be better prepared as to what questions and concerns a new DR may have in taking you on as a patient.
A note from the DR has most likely already been made. It is not possible to get them removed without going through a lawyer, but your PCP may be able to do another test and right a note saying that your UA did not contain whatever came up previously.
Infortunitly a redflag or being blacklisted will follow you to every DR that sees your medical records.
I'm so sorry.

You can always get a lawyer and try to fight this legally if you feel you have a case against your PM DR for unfaily accusing you and not retesting your urine. BUt fair warning that that is a very hard, time and financially consuming option. But may be worth it if you didnt sign a pain contract or you truely didnt do what your accused of(I'm not saying you did only that that option is a serious one to take on)

TMA.  

[Toomanyadvil]

Hi Missy

         I'm sorry this is happening to you. I know how frustrated and angry you must be.
First, yes your DR can terminate treatment for a failed UA. In her eyes you were taking something that she didnt prescribe for you.
If you signed a pain cintract your DR probably made sure to state in there that she can terminate treatment at any time for any reason she deems nessesary.
The second thing I want to mention is to get into your PCP ASAP and request a UA. Although she may not take you back on as her pain patient you at least will have another UA in your records.
  If you feel that this test is false as you obviously do, you can contact the head of the DR's clinic, medical center or office and explain why you think you have been unjustly accused and that you wish to have the test done over.

If you did not sign a pain contract she has to give you sufficiant time to find another DR before terminating you or its considered Patient Abandonment. Though DR are very careful about staying within the guidlines so I'm assuming she covered herself when she fist accepted you as a patient by having you sign one(thats only my assumption though)

Some medications can come up as others. I will post those for you so you can see if anything you were taking can show up ina UA as something else. Usually its opioids that show up as different opioids. An opioid wont show up as an illicit drug like cocain or valium.

When someone fails a UA it is done twice in the lab to make sure that the test is correct. Once with a rapid test and once with an indepth test which is senstative enough to check the levels of what is in your urine and picks up the smallest traces of anything.

But unfortunitly with a failed UA she will most likely not be willing to hear you out. PM's have been under severe scruitiny in the past few years from the government. Anything there patient does..sell there meds, abuse them, taking other drugs not prescribed, is seen as the DR responsibility. It falls onto them so she will most likely not want to risk losing her licence and her practice as may happen if the DA audits her scripts and patient records.
For ex. If she keeps you on and the DA comes in and checks her records and sees that a patient has a failed UA though the DR continues to treat them she will then be responsible and have alot of explianing to do. Especially if its for illicit drugs. She will most likely be shut down and arrested.
Basically were all liabilities to our DR's if we break the rules they have set for us.
I'm not saying its right, Just that right now its the reality of PM.

The most important thing for you to do right now is to go see your PCP or another DR you trust and tell them what happened. Tell them you will be going through withdrawls. They may be able to help you in some way. Either by helping to treat you until you can find a new PM DR or by helping you get through withdrawls by giving you support medications that will help you stay as comfortable as possible.
If you are unable to find a DR who will help you get through this you may want to check yourself into the hospital and they can help you get through this.
I dont know what medications you are on so dont know if your taking ones where the withdrawls can become fatal.
But going through withdrawls puts alot of stress on your body and the best thing for you to do is get the help you need to get through them.

I wish I had a suggestion for you of how to get your PM DR to hear you out. But with the government regulations and the DA shutting down PM DR's left and right, they are extreamly careful these days and will most times not be willing to take the chance that you really werent taking something you werent prescribed.

But I dont know exactly what you were taking and what came up in your UA. I'm omly going from the perspective of the DR and the regulations they have to follow and the sruitany there under because of it.

I will try to find those meds that can come up as something else so you can see if you were taking one of them.
I'm really sorry your going through this. I cant imagine what your feeling right now. I know I'd be angry and upset and especially to be accused of something you didnt do.

I've made this long enough as I'm sure the last thing you want to do is read a novel right now.
I hope your able to find some way to correct this.

TMA

[ACHILDOFGOD]

did you sign a mangement contract?  If so look at that contract and see what it says about random UA's.  I have never had a random test at my doctors office which doesn't  mean anything except that I find it very odd after 3 years that she would treat you this way.Is there anyone around you that would call her and make a complaint about you? Even though she couldn't talk to them about you specifically, she could certainly listen to what someone had to say.   If it were me I would go get myself independently tested right away, like tommorrow, for whatever drug she is accusing you of .(make sure you do it drug specific because there are many kinds of tests for different drugs) If you wait too long it won't serve it's purpose.  If your doctor or local hospital will not do it get one over the counter at the drugstore, although try for the professional one first.  Then I would send her a letter enclosing a copy of the results you get and demand an explaination. Send the letter where she must sign for it.  I would also put in the letter that you have been unjustly accused by her and you expect her to reverse all findings and demand a retest. I would also put in there that I was going to contact an attorney on my behalf  to straighten this out and would go to all lengths legally necessary to free this unrightly charge againt you.   Its very important to deal with this now as agressively as necessary or you may never get another doctor to work with you again.  You could be blacklisted.  I don't mean to scare you but this is a very serious problem for someone with chronic pain who life depends upon medication. I hope this helps Plese keep us posted on this forum so  we can support you and help you through this ordeal the best we can.