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Dear Peter: I get similar inquiries from time to time, and I must admit that I've never given much thought to the ethical question you pose. Mostly, I am surprised that anyone would bother to contact me for information that is so widely available from sources that offer the comfort of anonymity. Ordinarily, I will answer their question, but preface my response with a detailed explanation of why it is impossible to predict exactly how long drugs will be detectable in the urine of a drug user. Maybe the doctor needs a note from his pharmacist? To people who are worried about a positive test resulting from licit use of some pharmaceutical (or poppy seeds), I always recommend written disclosure of any such information at the time the specimen is collected. If the drug testing program is administered responsibly, a qualified medical review officer will determine whether the results are consistent with the drug history provided by the subject. Kind regards, Roger Roger L. Bertholf, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pathology Director of Clinical Chemistry & Toxicology University of Florida Health Science Center/Jacksonville > -----Original Message----- > From: Peter Stromberg [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 3:54 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: DRUG SCREENING---ETHICAL PROBLEMS > > > If someone asks the question "How long to I have to stay off > drugs for my urine test to become negative?"...usually in the > context of a pre-employment drug screen...This is what I do.. > If it is a direct approach by a member of the general public > I refuse to answer the question. If it is from a Doctor I say > "You are asking me to collude with you in the deception of a > third party...That is unethical...and refuse to answer the question. > > This morning I have a request from a general practitioner > checking to see if a urine that was previously positive is > now negative so he can go for the interview wuth a "clean > "urine.There is a vague history of ingestion of co-proxamol > and cocodamol....over the counter medicines that contain opiates. > > How do you handle situations like this?Am I over-reacting? > > ------ACB discussion List Information-------- > This is an open discussion list for the academic and clinical > community working in clinical biochemistry. Please note, > archived messages are public and can be viewed via the > internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and > they are responsible for all message content. > > ACB Web Site > http://www.acb.org.uk > List Archives http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN.html > List Instructions (How to leave etc.) http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/ > ------ACB discussion List Information-------- This is an open discussion list for the academic and clinical community working in clinical biochemistry. Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and they are responsible for all message content. ACB Web Site http://www.acb.org.uk List Archives http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN.html List Instructions (How to leave etc.) http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/