Positive drug screen

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I took a urine drug screen for a job and it came back positive for amphetamines. I take phentermine for weight loss and my doctor has written a letter addressing this and stating that it will likely cause a positive result. The lab company is refusing to accept that as phentermine classification is not amphetamine, they apparently don't take into consideration false positives as I know there are some anti depressants that will cause false positives as well. I am in shock and have in no way in my entire life abused amphetamines. Is this something that is reported to my board of nursing and does anybody have experience with this happeneding? Am I going to lose my license? I work for an agency and took another test today so I can continue to work but the damage has already been done if my previous test is reported.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

It can test positive for the quick result test but when they send it off for confirmation and if you have a valid prescription the MRO should confirm that it was a false positive. If it were somehow reported to the BON you should be fine as long as you can provide a valid prescription. They might make you retest but as long as everything is in order they would let it go.

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The MRO said phentermine won't cause a positive result, I would have had to take adderall, which I have not. I do have a valid script for phentermine and note from my dr saying it will cause a positive but the MRO doesn't agree with him. That's what I'm worried about. My test is considered positive now and if they won't recognize phentermine as a legitimate cause then I'm worried I'll lose my license.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
The MRO said phentermine won't cause a positive result, I would have had to take adderall, which I have not. I do have a valid script for phentermine and note from my dr saying it will cause a positive but the MRO doesn't agree with him. That's what I'm worried about. My test is considered positive now and if they won't recognize phentermine as a legitimate cause then I'm worried I'll lose my license.

The MRO is wrong which is worrisome in itself, because phentermine can give a false positive for amphetamines and there is a lot of research that shows this. What state are you in? If you already have another job and this isn't a problem then I would wait to see if the BON contacts you. They won't just take away your license without investigating things and the BON will know what things are common to give false positives. They might have you test somewhere else and as long as you can provide a valid prescription for it and there isn't other things showing up it should not be an issue.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Phentermine not only can but typically does show positive for amphetamines on an initial screen, which makes sense since phentermine is structurally very similar to amphetamines is essentially a close relative of amphetamines in both structure and effects, but a positive for amphetamines on the initial screen should always be clarified with GCMS testing which will give the specific amphetamine analog that was present. I doubt that any BON would take action on a positive amphetamine screen that was not confirmed with GCMS.

Although just because you can prove that it is phentermine in your system and not amphetamine that doesn't mean you're completely safe, I've worked places that don't allow phentermine use even with a valid prescription.

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Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.

Get a lawyer: you do not want this on your record. Similar thing happened to me and I got a lawyer and won. The drug testing company had to pay me for all kinds of hurt that it caused and the place of future employment for treating me bad. If all is on the up and up, lawyer up...that's if the medication is allowed at the facility.

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Thank you. I will look into a lawyer. If you have any other advice please let me know!

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Have you asked to speak to someone else at the MRO? They are wrong. Phentermine most certainly will show up on a drug screen as an amphetemine as it's is one and a controlled substance.

I was on when I started nursing school and had a valid script. I came up positive and sent a pic in. I would ask to speak to a supervisor there.

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