Drug Test For Prescription Medications

Drug testing for prescription medications is critical at this time,  as drug and alcohol abuse is costing billions of dollars to U.S. employers. Costs to employers include accidents, worker's compensation claims, reduced productivity or performance, etc. Workers who abuse prescription drugs are more prone to unexcused absences.

Drug tests for prescription drugs can determine whether a person has used specific medications recently. Often the user does not have a prescription for the medications, and that is considered drug abuse.

In this article, we take a close look at the process of drug testing. We describe the types of drug testing methods, the process involved, its after-effects, and how to get the best results. 

How Drug Testing is Performed?

If you are looking to conduct a drug test for prescription drugs, there are a number of different methods available, including urine, hair, and saliva. Using any of these samples help in detecting the presence of one or more illegal or prescription drugs in the body. Out of all the methods, urine testing is most common for drug screening, where you will be given instructions to provide a urine sample. The urine sample is collected by a technician and submitted to the lab for testing. 

What are the Possible Outcomes?

Even a single use of an abused drug can be responsible for a person's decision-making, resulting in side-effects, accidents, degradation in performance, etc. Hence, the accuracy of drug test results is vital. If the outcome of the drug test results is negative, it indicates that no drugs were found in the body, or the level of drugs was under the established level of drug detection (cutoff level). However, if the outcome of the drug test results is positive, it indicates that one or more drugs were found in the body above the cutoff level. Prescription drugs of abuse that are most commonly tested include opioids, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines.

Medical Review

If a prescription drug is detected, the lab has no way to know whether the individual has a valid prescription. That is where an MRO comes in. A Medical Review Officer’s job is to verify whether a prescription exists and is valid. And if valid, does the medication pose a safety concern at work.

Any Risk Involved in the Process?

As such, there are no risks involved when a drug test is conducted. However, a positive result may indicate the possibility of safety concerns or addiction. In either case, employers use drug testing as a tool to promote safety as well as employee health. 

Any Lab Suggestions?

To conduct a drug test, always choose a lab with the latest technological enhancements and development in the lab testing industry, so that you can get the most accurate results on time. 

Regardless of your industry or unique requirements, InOut Labs has the best tools and follow best industry practices by offering fast, accurate, and confidential results. Make sure to ask for drug test panels that include pain killers and other prescription drugs to get the best drug test results for prescription medications.