Help! Surprise Mandatory Drug Test From a Dr. I Dont Know? What’s Going to Happen?
Question by Maddy: Help! Surprise mandatory drug test from a dr. i dont know? What’s going to happen?
Kinda dense, sorry! But please read it through because the info is important to understanding my question. thanks 🙂
I am prescribed 2 controlled substances for depression/anxiety/ADD. I needed to meet with a different Dr. today to get this month’s refill. I wasnt able to meet my actual psychiatrist in time.
While I was waiting I decided to take a routine STD/urine test.
The Dr. wrote my prescriptions then told me that I needed to sign a form. It basically said stuff like: “I agree to take care of myself/make healthy life decisions” and “I will let the doctor know if I’m feeling sick on the medication”, “I will carry my prescriptions in their original bottle” and “I agree to always go to the same pharmacy to pick up my meds” etc. None of it seemed super enforceable, legal, or serious. Like, I doubt I could get in any real trouble with my dr. if they find out I picked up my medication at a different pharmacy? lol. So I signed it.
only AFTER this did she say “I’d be getting my drug test results back soon!” When I told her the urine test was just a pregnancy test, she explained that all patients taking controlled substances are required to take a urine test at random times. So she would just test for it in the urine sample I already gave her.
I don’t even know if this was part of the thing I signed. Probably was.
I guess it KIND OF makes sense, but am wondering now what they look for? For instance, are they checking to see if I’m taking too MUCH of a certain mediation, or are they testing to see if I’m taking other illegal drugs?
I smoked some pot last week and went to a party last night where I did a small amount of cocaine. So this is..bad. I am not a heavy drug user at ALL and usually barely even smoke. Should I have told her? What will happen when they see it? Are they allowed to stop writing me my prescriptions? Make me go to rehab or something?
I do not have a drug problem, never have, and my regular psychiatrist is aware of what I do and don’t do recreationally. I found it strange that a dr. i dont know made me fill out the form and take the test.
Also, will this now be on my medical record permanently? What will it say? Can I get in any serious trouble for this?
Thanks again
To the first commenter:
1) I do not use “dope”
2) I should flag you for abuse but whatever. Not helpful guy.
Please no more nasty comments about drug use. Think Im a crazy drug addict or dont, all I want to know is what they are going to do when they get my sample/how this works.
Best answer:
Answer by Mark IX
Sorry, you suffer “depression” and use coke and dope? You’re an idiot. Why should they continue giving you antidepressants when you deliberately make yourself more depressed (those two drugs are depressants)?
Answer by M
They’ll be doing a standard four-panel drug screen on the urine sample. It checks for THC (marijuana) cocaine, amphetamines (like Adderall and other ADD meds) and opioids like heroin and prescription painkillers. I’m assuming they test you because you take a Schedule IV drug for anxiety like Klonopin, Xanax, or Valium, and a Schedule II drug like Ritalin or Adderall for the ADD.
What you signed is similar to the contract that patients who are in pain management sign, stating that they won’t obtain pain meds from any other doctors while under that particular physician’s care. It’s a legal “cover your a$ $ ” thing for the doctor, and if patients break the contract, the doctor can refuse to keep seeing the patient. It’s fairly standard when controlled substances are involved.
The results of the drug test will be in your medical records at this office. You’ll have to wait and see what the policy is regarding testing positive for any substances–if indeed you do. It’s possible that they will let it slide, but that they will be on the warpath regarding future random testing. A second dirty test could have more serious consequences. I’d definitely ask for a copy of what you signed so that you’ll at least have that to look over.