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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by saintjames on February 21, 1999, at 18:16:15
Why are people asking questions like..."how long will Xanax show up on a drug test "? A patient has the legal right to take a prescribed med. As i take Dexedrine I posed this question to my lawyer.....he said: 1) get a note on doc letterhead stating you take x (x's) med(s) while under his care...no reason to mention why you do or what condition 2) bring the bottle 3) present all of this at the time of testing...generally you are asked what meds you are on....list them all and document all the scheduled ones with the doc's note and current med bottles.
Some may be asking this question because they don't have a prescription (illicit) so I can't help you there ! If for some reason you don't want to test for a med....consult your doc, the pharmacy, and best the manufacture for wash out times. If you are going this route and the job is important I would pre test yourself to make sure. If you test positive on a employment drug test and have not mentioned prescribed meds it is very hard to prove these are legit after the fact.
james
Posted by steve on February 21, 1999, at 22:51:25
In reply to Drug tests...why is this a question, posted by saintjames on February 21, 1999, at 18:16:15
I agree with you in theory, but the cold reality remains that despite legal protections, employers will often discharge or fail to hire a person who is on a controlled substance even if the use is legitamite. If you tell an employer that you take a scheduled medication, inevitably, the next question is why and who's the doctor. From this information (which it is legal under the American with Disabiliies Act)the employer will discover that the medication is being used for psychiatric care and, in my experience, legal or not, kiss your reputation good-bye. Sad, but true!
Posted by Carol on February 22, 1999, at 8:02:05
In reply to Re: Drug tests...why is this a question, posted by steve on February 21, 1999, at 22:51:25
I'd like to add a different point of view
1) If you are taking a preemployment drug test, take ALL of your prescription bottles with you. That way, the people who are administering the test can have no questions at a later date.
2) I've had 3 pre-employment tests, and 1 random test (employer #2). The first test was the most difficult to get through, and the Dr. at the company wanted to talk to my Dr. After some discussions, I did get that job, and I stayed there 6 years. When I interviewed for job #2 and Job #3, I did not give my notice at my current job until I had been "cleared" by the medical dept. The medical personnel were surprised at the number of prescriptions I take for my variety of conditions, but there were no problems. I do still have prescriptions for 3 controlled meds on a prn basis, and I take 3 different antidepressant meds. I went to medical smiling and pretended to be confident, so that the Dr. looked at me and said, "well, they obviously work".
I'm in an R&D position, and drowsiness would be a safety hazard, so my Drs. and I have always avoided the more sedating meds.
My experiences for all of this: be up front with your meds, try to abstain from prns for at least 1 week, but try to project confidence and self-assurance during the process.
Some companies will screen out controlled substances in "safety-critical" jobs, where they like to avoid even the implication of slow reaction times and reflexes. I believe this is legal, even if it isn't quite fair.
I do not believe that the medical report went back to the hiring supervisor in job #2 or (current) job#3. The only report that went to HR is that I qualified for the position.
Good luck to all.
This is the end of the thread.
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