Urine Drug Screen
In an effort to continue to provide our patients with the highest quality care, Progressive Spine & Sports Medicine has instituted a universal urine drug screening policy. The purpose of providing this policy is to allow our patients to be fully informed about the reasons for and frequency of urine drug testing.
Urine toxicology, or urine drug screening, is universally recommended by the major American pain and addiction medicine societies to ensure compliance with prescribed pain treatment and to ensure the safety of patients.
Urine drug screening will be performed on ALL patients being prescribed opioid pain medications.
At a minimum, urine drug screening will be performed once every two months.
At Progressive Spine & Sports Medicine, we use "point of care" urine drug testing that provides accurate results immediately. To ensure the results we receive in the office are correct, each urine sample is also sent to a laboratory for more thorough testing.
Urine drug screening is performed to ensure that patients are both taking the medication that is being prescribed to them and not taking any non-prescribed prescription pain medications or illicit drugs that would interfere with their prescribed treatment and put them at risk for serious health consequences.
If any inconsistencies are found in office "point of care" urine drug testing, only 1 week of pain medication will be prescribed. This is to allow us to confirm the results with the laboratory run test and not subject patients to being without pain medication.
If the results of the laboratory testing confirm that a patient has been taking any non-prescribed prescription pain medications or illicit drugs, the patient is subject to any or all of the following:
- Referral to a pain psychologist to determine the appropriateness of continued treatment with opioid pain medication
- No longer being prescribed opioid pain medication
- Discharge from the practice
If you have any questions regarding this policy, please do not hesitate to ask. By signing below, you are indicating that you have read and understand the policy.