lala580Hello,
I am in a LVN program and have a drug test soon for my hospital/long term care facility placement. I am on methadone maintenance and have been for 7 yrs. I have been clean for 7 yrs and started on 40mg, now I'm on 10mg/day. The drug test is a ten panel and I know it will show up, (b/c they do a 10 panel at the clinic and I test pos for methadone there). I know some people don't show up when on this low of a dose, but I do. I have a prescription, get takehomes and have records of clean tests. I have to do a drug test at the human resources office (by a nurse) at the hospital. The hosp is the one testings, so of course they will find out about my methadone status. I have done research on this topic and talked to the dr. at my clinic. The info varies, but a good amt says I CANNOT use methadone while being an lvn, working at the hosp/ltc facility. I have worked soo hard for this, my wife works ot to pay bills, take care of kids, so i can go to school, (b/c i can only work pt). She is going to kill me if i dont pass this and i am going to be crushed, my dream is to cont school to become an rn. This is our plan, and I am detoxing right now, so I can be free from methadone, but I won't be detoxed by the time of my test. I thought about doing the not taking rx for 3 days, but i have to go to school and wont be able to do it if im sick. I am almost positive that the hosp has a clause about "impaired medical provider", and of course everyone knows the stigma attached to taking methadone. And I talked to the clinic and they cannot give a ltr stating im on it for pain mgmt, they would have to give a ltr. stating im on maintenance. Please, somebody help me!!! Anyone work in hosp setting and know the protocol for this situation? Thank you for any tips and advice.
Help please! Pre employment drug test soon have prescription for methadone?
- Posted:
- 10 Sep 2011 by lala580
- Topics:
- methadone, drug test, prescription
Answers (3)
Anonymous 10 Sep 2011
The only answer in my opinion is the truth. If you were completely up front about your life as stated above, knowing you will soon be off of the methadone maintenance dose, and with a legal prescription, you still don't think they would hire you? That is really a shame. I don't have an answer for you, maybe someone else can help you out. The site been kind of quiet today so be patient. I belong to a lot of groups so hopefully this will alert some of my friends to come to your rescue. Good luck. I hope this all works out for you. You've done a great job so far...
DzooBaby12 Sep 2011
It really depends on the hospital. Some will allow prescribed meds and some wont allow anything at all. In your case, you will probably have to fess up about the maintenance program but you are also a patient and protected by privacy laws too. It really depends on how the policy is written. There are impaired nurses who are working. many have gone through "Can-do" programs and the like so having someone on methadone maintenence should not be that unusual. As medical professionals they should know that the meds are only to qwell cravings, that you are not "high" or impaired while on them and you need them to keep from slipping back into addiction which would indeed be detrimental to your license. Have you talked to your State Board as far as what your rights are?
joekola21 Sep 2012
To my knowledge methadone won't show up on a drug test unless specifically tested for, if u think about it the methadone clinic tests u every month for opiates and synthetic opiates if it showed up u'd fail for synthetics every month, I know truck drivers (horrible and ddangerous as that sounds and is) that that are prescribed it and they get Randoms all the time
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I agree with Mary. I thnik it just depends on the hospital, not all are the same. Good luck and let us know what happens. And welcome to this site. Von-1
Thank you!
TECHNICALLY, when u go in to the lab to test, u take ur script/letter from prescribed Dr. To verify. And the lab is to pass along a negative for illegal drugs result to HR. The medical issues u have are confidential period. They only test u for illegal usage of Narcotics, so it's the only results they legally can get. That's the law. Unless they have an actual legal document signed by u stating they can know u medical information, the only place it SHOULD go is the lab tech to verify. Period.