Drug screens on children

[AnieleiLPN]

I am now in my fourth week at my new job. I work in a hospital based family practice office/walk in clinic. We have four doctors and lots of patients. The hospital has started a new practice of having patients on controlled substances sign a contract about doing drug screens randomly, being asked to provide the Rx bottles, coming in for regular medication checks, and it asks pts to call at least 48hrs before the med is gone, them they do a baseline urine drug screen. We have a lot of children on ADD meds and parents are complaining and some even transferring out to a new office because we require the drug screens. So what's your opinion? Is it ok to drug screen children? I will add that we have had at least one child's drug screen come back negative for their meds even when parent claims they had it that day. I'm ok with it but I would like to hear some other opinions.

[mappers]

In my state, that is the new law. No opinion needed. If the parents complain, tell them to contact their state senator.

[RxOnly]

It's a sucky thing for the child to have to deal with... but I agree that it needs to be done for any controlled substance... I remember when I worked in Peds- there was a 15yr old boy who swore his mother knocked his Adderall down the sink when she was doing the dishes that morning. Said he had his morning dose before it happened. Sounded fishy, so we did a urine (with his and Mom's consent). Totally negative- no more Rx! Mom called to thank us a few weeks later. She went through his text messages and it turns out he was selling the stuff to his buddies. Geez!!