Accused of diversion in VA - Need guidance

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I was accused of diverting narcotics and I agreed to a drug screen because I knew I wasn't diverting. After I took the drug test, I was suspended. So on my way home, I picked up a 7-panel & a 14-panel drug test from the drug store. The tests I took came back negative across the board for all substances. The drug screen for work was negative for opioids, but it was positive for amphetamine. When I got the call obviously I was shocked, but the lady on the phone kept asking what prescription medications I take and I only told her about my PRESCRIBED medications, I didn't know she wanted to know OTCs or herbals as well. She made a sound like she didn't believe me and said the test is positive for amphetamine. I tell her there's no way and she gives the phone to someone else and he tells me he's reporting a positive test unless I can bring a physical prescription to him. I told him I don't have a prescription and I think it's a false positive. He tells me I can have the other vial sent off to be tested but I have to pay $347 right then. Which I do not have. Obviously, I've been on the internet reading about other medications that can cause a false positive and found out Sudafed and Mucinex can cause it. Which I've been taking both religiously since the weather changed in September. I'm terrified. Can someone give me some guidance?

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Personally, I would borrow $347 to have the other vial sent off and tested. What drug were you accused of Diverting? Having to pay for treatment eval and 5 years of monitoring is a lot more than $347. 

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
On 11/3/2021 at 4:33 AM, VA.RN said:

I've been on the internet reading about other medications that can cause a false positive and found out Sudafed and Mucinex can cause it. Which I've been taking both religiously since the weather changed in September. I'm terrified. Can someone give me some guidance?

Sudafed is a form of amphetamine! In fact it is used in themanufacture of methamphetamine. Having the 2nd vial tested will still yield positive resuts unless the lap is willing to test for the specific drug. 

Hppy

 

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
11 hours ago, RueTrue said:

Personally, I would borrow $347 to have the other vial sent off and tested. What drug were you accused of Diverting? Having to pay for treatment eval and 5 years of monitoring is a lot more than $347. 

Read my answer to OP about the 2nd test. Also you  don't have to be diverting in order to lose your job and be labeled an impaired nurse. 

 

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2 hours ago, hppygr8ful said:

Sudafed is a form of amphetamine! In fact it is used in themanufacture of methamphetamine. Having the 2nd vial tested will still yield positive resuts unless the lap is willing to test for the specific drug. 

Hppy

 

I think the problem is that the specific drug would come back as methamphetamine. If she tests positive for the category "amphetamines", they would have already run the extended test to find out which drug it was (ex. adderall/vyvanse would make you test positive for amphetamines, so they run further testing, which specifies that the drug found was adderall. In her case, sudafed is making her test positive for amphetamines, and wrongly being identified as methamphetamine specifically)

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Open a credit card, do what ever you can to prove you don’t have drugs in your system. You don’t want to end up in monitoring. 

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Specializes in Nursing administration/ICU/PACU.

Just wondering whatever happened? 

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