Employment Drug Screens

Nurses Recovery

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Hi all, I'm a new grad accepting my first job. I have been prescribed suboxone for about the past year and a half for a past opiate addiction. My goal was to be off it by May when my job was supposed to start since my state doesn't allow any type of opiate replacement therapy. However, I got a chance to start early in my DREAM position as a tech basically now. I had no time to taper myself down and still have to function on a daily basis so I've done my very best and gotten down to about 2mg of buprenorphine every 48hrs but my drug screen is in 2 days.

With all that said, I don't even know if most hospitals test for buprenorphine. It's not included on a standard 10 panel. It would have to be an expanded 10 or a 12 panel. Regardless my intentions are to get completely off and stay that way (I didn't even renew my RX last week) I just can't do it this fast and still function, study, etc. My only option is to make up some reason to postpone my start date which I really really don't want to do. What do y'all think?? 

PS I'm finding ranges of info on buprenorphine half lives from 24-42hrs meaning it would be detected in urine for 6-9 days roughly. Would it be this long even taking these tiny amounts (they do help and I'm spreading them farther and farther apart). I'm so at a loss as to what to do. Any advice much appreciated in advance. 

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Specializes in Emergency, CVICU, Dialysis.

Hi! Congratulations on your first job! Are you already in a monitoring program? If not, from my understanding, as long as you have a prescription for whatever you are positive for on the pre employments UDS then you will be fine. They just ask for proof of prescription. Maybe I'm not understanding correctly though? I don't want to give you wrong information. Also maybe you can talk to your new manager to see if they wouldn't mind just pushing the start date back a couple weeks.

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In my state, opiate replacement therapy is completely not allowed. And I am not already being monitored and would really like to avoid getting on their **** list this early in my career. After thinking about it more today I made a phone call and asked to postpone my start date. Even though I hated doing that I think it's my best option. I wish these rules were changed. I consider myself very stable right now and am comfortable detoxing off this but if you ask me if I'm more likely to relapse or be unsafe on it or off it, obviously I'd say off. I hope that makes sense. I think I knew what I needed to do I just didn't like it. ?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Women's Health, LTC.
12 hours ago, CrazyCatLady1984 said:

 And I am not already being monitored and would really like to avoid getting on their **** list this early in my career.  ?

Yes!! AND never, ever, ever mention this to anyone you work with or another nurse for any reason, ever! Take care of yourself first and congrats on your new job!

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I am facing same situation. Please any advice? I am scheduled for my pre-employment test on Monday, which is 3 days away. 

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