DRUG TESTING

Course overview

BROADLY DEFINED, DRUG TESTING IS THE PROCESS OF USING A BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF A DRUG OR ITS METABOLITES. THIS PROCESS CAN BE COMPLETED IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS AND WITH A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES. AS THE BODY METABOLIZES VARIOUS DRUGS AT DIFFERENT RATES, THE TIME FRAME FOR DETECTING CERTAIN DRUGS OR METABOLITES CAN BE VERY SPECIFIC AND CAN VARY WIDELY FROM SUBSTANCE TO SUBSTANCE. DESPITE THE DRAWBACKS, DRUG TESTING PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN THE CLINICAL SETTING BECAUSE CLINICAL EXAMINATION, PATIENT SELF-REPORTING, AND COLLATERAL REPORTING WILL OFTEN UNDERESTIMATE THE ACTUAL INCIDENCE OF SUBSTANCE USE. HOWEVER, DRUG TESTING SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED WITH HISTORY/PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ASSESSMENT. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PROCESS OF DRUG TESTING, THE LEGALITIES INVOLVED AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WHO ABUSE DRUGS.