Failed pre-employment drug screen

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am so freaked out. I was hired, conditionally, for a job I really want. Today I found out that I failed the drug screen because it showed Darvocet. I have prescriptions for Percocet because I recently broke a bone in my foot. Over the weekend prior to the drug test, a family member gave me a couple of their pain killers until I got mine filled. I didn't put it all together until today, but apparently I took the Darvocet without thinking it would cause a problem. I am not sure yet what will happen, but I fear I will lose the job. Even worse, I am afraid of being reported to my nursing board. Any suggestions? I am feeling like a royal loser. I have never had a problem with any other drug screen in prior jobs or nursing school.

Specializes in Critical Care.

Whether or not you have a prescription does not make as much difference as some would suggest. At many employers, including my own, it makes no difference if you took someone else's darvocet or your percocet, neither is allowed, prescription or not.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I know you had no evil intentions by taking the Darvocet, but the fact remains that you did take a controlled substance that was not prescribed to you. Your employer could look at this and wonder if you may make similar "judgement calls" with patients and their medications. Not saying that you would ever do that...but it's not me you have to convince.

First, set your Percocet prescription up for Auto-fill: most pharmacy chains offer this service so you will never get short on your medication and not be tempted to do this again.

Second, if you are asked by them what happened or to produce a Darvocet script, tell the employer the truth: I wouldn't try to lie about it because they specifically got a positive for Darvocet, and lying would just worsen their opinion for you. After that, all you can do is wait and hope for the best...which honestly doesn't look good for you.

Last, take this lesson away with you for the future.

You can't "auto-fill" Percocet. It's a CII and requires a new RX every time.

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
Wow! This was my first post and will probably be my last, if my feelings are involved. While I appreciate the feedback, the phrase "nurses eating their young" certainly came to mind. I hope none of you who judged me so harshly ever make a mistake. As you predicted, the job offer was rescinded but fortunately the info will go no further. This was an honest mistake and I was in a lot of pain over a holiday weekend when I was away from my pharmacy. The upside is now I have the time to have the foot surgery that I need. Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions and support. As for the rest of you, thankfully I'm not suicidal.

Hopefully you will stick around. Like others have said, everyone's got opinions and when you post on a public forum you essentially invite public feedback. And freedom of speech means that you're going to end up hearing things you don't want to. So take what you want and ignore the rest.

One thing though: please do not confuse being told the facts with "nurses eating their young." The fact is that you did something illegal, and while your justification for doing so can be understood and/or related to by a lot of us here, there's just no way to sugarcoat your actions to make them legal. Or acceptable by everyone.

As far as your job offer being rescinded, employers are interested in the black-and-white legal answers, and not the big grey area that's behind the choices we make. Unfortunately this worked against you.

I hope your foot surgery goes well and that you have a speedy recovery.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
like you, i'm sitting here with my mouth hung open.

within my family, nope, absolutely no problem sharing.

never said it's habitual, did say "in a pinch".

and yes, i'm aware of side effects.

it comes with nsg skill and experience, but thanks for asking, checker.

i just can't get all excited about doing what you can, to help someone out.

not anyone, mind you...

ftr, my son's medicine is imitrex, not a narc.

as stated, op made bad decision.

but it's not the end of the freaking world what she did.:twocents:

her loss, and only hers.

leslie

You'd better hope your husband doesn't develop some cardiac issue you both don't know about the next time he borrows an Imitrex.

It could be the last time he borrows it.

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
like you, i'm sitting here with my mouth hung open.

within my family, nope, absolutely no problem sharing.

never said it's habitual, did say "in a pinch".

and yes, i'm aware of side effects.

it comes with nsg skill and experience, but thanks for asking, checker.

i just can't get all excited about doing what you can, to help someone out.

not anyone, mind you...

ftr, my son's medicine is imitrex, not a narc.

as stated, op made bad decision.

but it's not the end of the freaking world what she did.:twocents:

her loss, and only hers.

leslie

I agree, leslie!

Specializes in ED/ICU/TELEMETRY/LTC.

True story: I have some infrequent headaches not relieved by OTCs. Several years ago, when it was still available, my doctor prescribed me some Darvocet. I had 30. I only took them when OTCs failed.

So I am offered a job. Drug screens show propoxyphene. By now, this prescription is like two years old. On a trip a week or so before, I take next to the last one. When they ask about it, I am able to produce the bottle with one still in it. No problem. As you can see, taking only 30 in two years, I certainly wasn't able taking them for fun (Why takes Darvocet for fun?). The thing is, if I had had just one more headache in two years I wouldn't have had the bottle.

Not sure what this has to do with this post, but I always think of it when I hear the word Darvocet.

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
I am with Leslie on this.

Before becoming a nurse, we would often have 'leftover' pain meds in the house. When you have NO insurance, single parent, etc....you will often do what you have to do.

As a NEW nurse, I would be terrified of taking a script that didn't have my name on it only because of the random drug screens. I would even avoid taking a narc with my name on the bottle if it wasn't a very recent issue of the med. BUT, if I just fx my foot, had a pending narc script and could take a narc to end the pain now....I may have done what the OP did. Dunno....for real, because I haven't actually done it.

It is a lesson learned for the OP. Big Brother is watching.....we should never forget.

I'm with u guys. There are circumstances - not everyday but there are circumstances where I would do the same thing,and have done the same kind of thing before,with an injured family member and an ER wait time of more than 6 hours. It was a med that the family member had taken before,and we knew he had no adverse reaction to.

Anne

I'm already behind the couch prepared...

:sofahider

Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.
Whether or not you have a prescription does not make as much difference as some would suggest. At many employers, including my own, it makes no difference if you took someone else's darvocet or your percocet, neither is allowed, prescription or not.

When you say employer-where are you employed? I am curious why your employer would discriminate against an employee who takes a prescribed Scheduled drug for a medical condition.

I work with many people who take Scheduled drugs-for legitimate medical conditions, like: narcolepsy, seizure disorder, chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, migraines, ADHD, depression, etc...

We would have very few employees left if they fired everyone taking a prescribed, scheduled medication. These people would be sitting at home on disability if they did not take these medications. You never said this, but I know a lot of people truly believe that taking a scheduled drugs impairs people. That only seems to be the case in drug abuse, not necessarily taking the meds as prescribed.

You'd better hope your husband doesn't develop some cardiac issue you both don't know about the next time he borrows an Imitrex.

It could be the last time he borrows it.

he had it 1 time.

and i wouldn't have given it to him if he had a cardiac hx.

the next time he got the same type of ha, i told him he needs to see his dr.

i don't do this randomly, and i research any meds if i'm going to share.

thanks for your concern.:cool:

leslie

Specializes in Med-Surg/DOU/Ortho/Onc/Rehab/ER/.

I agree with Leslie

Is it illegal, yes.

Was the timing bad, oh ya.

No one can sit here and go " oh I have never taken a pill that wasn't prescribed to me."

I have done it. When my period was really bad, like cramps would physically inhibit me, bad, my mom would give me her prescribed muscle relaxer. This was in my late teens before I got on a really good birth control.

Was it my prescription? No.

Was it illegal, yes but so is spending and rolling through stop signs, which we have all done at some point. So honestly, OP, this is a live and learn thing. But a lot of people need to get off their high horses. Seriously.

Okay, I think the OP has had enough salt poured in her wounds.

OP, live and learn.

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I know you had no evil intentions by taking the Darvocet, but the fact remains that you did take a controlled substance that was not prescribed to you. Your employer could look at this and wonder if you may make similar "judgement calls" with patients and their medications. Not saying that you would ever do that...but it's not me you have to convince.

First, set your Percocet prescription up for Auto-fill: most pharmacy chains offer this service so you will never get short on your medication and not be tempted to do this again.

Second, if you are asked by them what happened or to produce a Darvocet script, tell the employer the truth: I wouldn't try to lie about it because they specifically got a positive for Darvocet, and lying would just worsen their opinion for you. After that, all you can do is wait and hope for the best...which honestly doesn't look good for you.

Last, take this lesson away with you for the future.

You can't get Percocet set up on auto fill or have refills on it. Refills can't even be called in. You have to pick uo a paper script for it each month if you are on a monthly prescriptoon. At least that is how it is here.

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