Clinical drug testing can be used by physicians to detect prescribed and non-prescribed drugs and medication their patients are taking. The primary reason for testing is to ensure proper decision making is taking place when managing a patients healthcare plan and ensure the safety of the individual. Clinicians may also run a urine or oral fluid drug testing program to specifically monitor their patients prescribed medications if they have addictive potential.

Drug Testing – Primary Care Setting

• Can assist clinical decisions on a patient’s substance use that affects other medical conditions
• Can affect clinical decisions about co-therapy, especially with controlled substances
• Prevents dangerous medication interactions during surgery or other medical procedures
• Increases the safety of prescribing medications by identifying the potential for overdose or serious drug interactions
• Helps assess patient use of opioids for chronic pain management or compliance with pharmacotherapy for opioid maintenance treatment for opioid use
• Helps the clinician assess the efficacy of the treatment plan and the current level of care for chronic pain management
• Monitors abstinence in a patient with a known chemical dependency
• Verifies or contradicts a patient’s self-report or family member’s report of substance use