Help! False positive on urine drug test :(

[GalRN]

Hi.. I need some advice in a bad way. I recently quit a job to go back to my old place of employment. I'd worked there for 3 yrs and they were so glad to get me back that they didn't even interview me. The job required a pre-employment drug screen. I do take ritalin for ADD and knew that if I provided a current script I'd be ok. Took the test, the lab usually asks what you're on but they didn't want to know.

Got a call from the 3rd party MD that the company uses and was told that I was positive for amphetamines (duh!). Per their request I faxed my current bottle label. Figured everything was all set and started orientation. On the 3rd day of orientation, HR pulled me out and I was told that on the GC/MS 2 other amphetamines showed up. I couldn't explain that and was terminated on the spot.

Called my prescriber right away (she was stumped too) and had her fax a requisition to the same lab for the same test. It showed ritalin only, w/ GC/MS confirmation. This test was taken only 3 days after the first, so other drugs wouldn't have had time to leave my system.

The BIG problem. They can't tell other prospective employers why I left, and I have a good cover story, but if I ever apply again in that health system they CAN tell them about the drug test. I'm a psych nurse, and this system owns about 2/3 of the psych hospitals in my state.

Does anybody know if there is a legal way to get my record expunged, or at least to include the test my CNS ordered? I had begged them to retest me and they wouldn't. I went on several promising interviews last week, and will have another job soon, but not being able to work for this health system will definitely have an impact on my career in the future.

I'd like to avoid getting a lawyer, but might have to, since they won't release the results of the test and I don't even know what the other amphetamines were that showed up.

Any advice or links would be very much appreciated!

[Scififan]

Sorry not from your part of the world so can't help but just wanted to wish you the very best in sorting this out. We currently don't have drug screening and I hope it doesn't come in precisely due to these mistakes, and the difficulty in getting them rectified, and all the time your career in the balance - as if we didn't have enough to worry about!

Good Luck!

[tlhubbard]

I can't imagine what you must be going through. But I think that since that was YOUR urine and YOUR results, you would have a right to have the results. Especially since it is effecting your livelihood and you have the concerns you do about it being false.

The other thing to consider, is it a generic that you end up with. Could there be a question of purity with the way it is produced? I think I would go back to the pharmacy where you have it filled and start asking some questions there. Mistakes happen.

Also, can the lab verify there was no mistake on their part. No one is perfect and there is always the possbility of human error.

Best of luck to you!!

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Hi.. I need some advice in a bad way. I recently quit a job to go back to my old place of employment. I'd worked there for 3 yrs and they were so glad to get me back that they didn't even interview me. The job required a pre-employment drug screen. I do take ritalin for ADD and knew that if I provided a current script I'd be ok. Took the test, the lab usually asks what you're on but they didn't want to know.

Got a call from the 3rd party MD that the company uses and was told that I was positive for amphetamines (duh!). Per their request I faxed my current bottle label. Figured everything was all set and started orientation. On the 3rd day of orientation, HR pulled me out and I was told that on the GC/MS 2 other amphetamines showed up. I couldn't explain that and was terminated on the spot.

Called my prescriber right away (she was stumped too) and had her fax a requisition to the same lab for the same test. It showed ritalin only, w/ GC/MS confirmation. This test was taken only 3 days after the first, so other drugs wouldn't have had time to leave my system.

The BIG problem. They can't tell other prospective employers why I left, and I have a good cover story, but if I ever apply again in that health system they CAN tell them about the drug test. I'm a psych nurse, and this system owns about 2/3 of the psych hospitals in my state.

Does anybody know if there is a legal way to get my record expunged, or at least to include the test my CNS ordered? I had begged them to retest me and they wouldn't. I went on several promising interviews last week, and will have another job soon, but not being able to work for this health system will definitely have an impact on my career in the future.

I'd like to avoid getting a lawyer, but might have to, since they won't release the results of the test and I don't even know what the other amphetamines were that showed up.

Any advice or links would be very much appreciated!

Hello, Galadriel,

You really need to seek legal counsel. I know you do not want to, but, just as you said, this might impact your future career.

Not giving you the records is entirely within their rights because you are no longer employed there.

So, retain an attorney. And, good luck.:)

[GalRN]

Thank god this isn't something that's being reported to the board of nursing. I talked to my pharmacist and he said that since I take the long acting form (Concerta) there was no substitution, and I've taken it long enough to know from the appearance of the pills that they were the right ones.

The only other explanation I could think of was an interaction... I also take periactin (antihistamine) to combat the side effect of appetite loss. Works great by the way! My CNS ordered the 2nd test specifically to make sure that an interaction wasn't the cause, and I took what ever meds I normally take up to and including the day of the test in order to get a definite answer. Since it didn't happen again, that wasn't the cause.

The lab uses a "foolproof" method to avoid mistakes w/ drug screens. They take one sample and pour it into 2 containers, then seal both and have you sign the seal. If the first one is positive they test the second one to verify it. This is supposed to be a very fair method, but obviously a mistake was made somewhere. Maybe the GC/MS machine needed recalibration or the person's urine before me left some residue. Who knows, doesn't really matter since it's too late to fix the problem.

On the issue of getting a copy of the results, in this state you are entitled to copies of everything in your file if you request it in writing. I have, with no response. They won't even give me a copy of my CPR card, so I have to take it again.:angryfire I have copies of the requests that I've sent them so that if I do get a lawyer he can nail them!

What REALLY annoys me is that a few years ago I used to smoke pot. That takes a month or 2 to leave your system, but I always drank the stuff that masks it and passed the tests. If I'd thought there would be an issue, I would've drank it this time!!!!!

[GalRN]

Hi.... Just wanted to thank those who responded for their advice and support. This was one of my worst nightmares and I'm still trying to figure out how it happened.

I will be contacting a lawyer as soon as I have some $$. Right now I'm broke since I've been living off my savings. Having to choose between rent and COBRA is not fun, thank god for my mom, she just wrote a check to the COBRA people for another month.

As far as the job situation goes... I've just been given the best opportunity ever. :) I'm a psych nurse and I just got a great offer from an ER that wants to train me in all the medical aspects of the job. I loved my ER internship and can't wait to start (Dec 12th). It's union so the $$ is amazing. But, guess what... I have to pass a drug test. This time I'm not messing around and plan to stop my Concerta about a week before the test. It'll leave me tired for a few days, but it's well worth it for the job of my dreams!

Again, thanks....