Nurses Recovery
Published Mar 5, 2018
Is anyone familiar with the preemployment drug testing policies of major hospital systems? I know mine is a UDS, but do they typically follow SAMSHA regulations even if they are a private employer?
babynurse98
18 Posts
I honestly dont see what I did wrong though. Legal prescriptions, taken as prescribed. How did I mess up?
klone, MSN, RN
14,796 Posts
People have already explained it to you.
Did you remind your provider that you already had a valid Rx for Ativan 1mg (or whatever it is) when s/he wrote you a new one?
Let me ask you this - what does the sig on the bottle say?
I have two separate prescriptions for 1 mg of a benzo and for the past two days I have taken both prescriptions, and they are both legally prescribed to me, so I do not see how I could get into trouble for this. So for the past 4 days I have taken 2 mg (1 mg from each prescription),
This is what's wrong. Your prescription is for 1mg, and you are taking 2mg.
Whether or not something like this would be caught through a UDS, who knows. But if you need 2mg. of Ativan (or whatever) why not ask your provider to write you a prescription for 2mg PRN instead of 1mg PRN. That way, you are not engaging in prescription drug abuse, and your nursing license is far less likely to be in jeopardy.
Eris Discordia BSN, RN
277 Posts
Sorry to put you on the spot, but you were using a totally legal, prescribed drug, just abusing it, and they flagged you for "overuse"?
Yup...
This is what's wrong. Your prescription is for 1mg, and you are taking 2mg. Whether or not something like this would be caught through a UDS, who knows. But if you need 2mg. of Ativan (or whatever) why not ask your provider to write you a prescription for 2mg PRN instead of 1mg PRN. That way, you are not engaging in prescription drug abuse, and your nursing license is far less likely to be in jeopardy.
Thank you for taking over...I cannot figure out another way to spell it out.
Okay, I thought of another way to explain it.
Let's say your physician prescribes you a script for 100 mg of Imitrex to to take a day prn for a migraine; that is your prescribed dose. Period. He wants you to take 100 mg, no more, no less.
Just because he hands you another prescription for 100 mg of Imitrex at your three month follow up does NOT mean he wants you to double up on your Imitrex and suddenly start taking 200 mg a day prn. He didn't change the Sig for the prescription, he simply supplied you a new script for when your other one runs out.
Same thing applies to Ativan, Xanax, whatever. If he provides you with a courtesy refill before you ran out, that does NOT NOT NOT means he wants you to fill early and double up the dose.
That's abusing the prescription.
It's a much bigger deal professionally when you do this with a substance highly capable of abuse.
Period.
What happens with a UDS? No one knows.
KelRN215, BSN, RN
1 Article; 7,349 Posts
Your prescription is for 1 mg. It was written in December of 2017 with 2 refills. Presumably you filled it in December, January and February and were, therefore, out of refills. Your physician then renewed your prescription for the same 1mg dose. You filled it and you have then been taking double that dose because you had extra meds left from the last prescription. You are not taking the medication as prescribed. That's what you did wrong.
I take a chronic medication for diabetes insipidus. My doctor last wrote me a prescription with a year's worth of refills in December. I will likely need to have him write a new prescription because I need to change mail order pharmacies with my new job and it's always a disaster trying to transfer the prescription between mail order pharmacies. If he writes me a new prescription when I need a refill, he's not doubling my dose, even though the other prescription hasn't expired.
Ruas61, BSN, RN
1,368 Posts
yes, I am confused. I have legally acquired these prescriptions and followed each prescription as prescribed. So yes, please inform me of what my issue is by abiding by my prescribed prescriptions and getting them legally prescribed.
If you feel this is correct, why do you keep circling it?
CharleeFoxtrot, BSN, RN
840 Posts
First off, OP if you are a nurse as you say and you can't figure out why you doubling up on the script your doctor wrote you for a highly addictive medication is "wrong" you need to find yourself another vocation. Secondly, you really need to look hard at yourself in the mirror and quit trying to rationalize your behavior.
AceOfHearts<3
916 Posts
if you are taking twice the dose (2mg vs 1mg) you really need to talk with your doctor because it is not working the way they intended and something needs changed.
hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I
4 Articles; 5,066 Posts
A lot depends on the state and the program that you are in. In California at least when I was in the program I was required to come off of my pain meds (legally prescribed and responsibly used), My anxiety and sleep meds (Not so responsibly used) and of course no alcohol. I could only take Tylenol, Advil or Aleve. They didn't even let me take Benederl but they did let me take prescription buspar for anxiety. Bottom line they really don't care if you are in pain, can't sleep etc......What they care about is compliance with whatever contract they put you on.
Hppy