positive drug test help

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I HAD TO TAKE A DRUG TEST FOR MY EMPLOYER, IT CAME BACK POSITIVE FOR DARVOCET. I HAD A SCRIPT FOR IT AT ONE TIME LOST THE BOTTLE KEPT THE LEFT OVER PILLS. TOOK SOME FOR SEVERE PAIN NOW DON'T REMEMBER WHO PRESCRIPED THEM,OR DATE OF RX ANYWAY CAN I LOSE MY ILLINOIS NURSING LICENSE AND OR JOB OVER THIS 1 TIME TEST? VERY WORRIED LOVE MY JOB,HATED THE NIGHTMARE SCHOOL WAS ANY IDEAS?:crying2::bluecry1::sniff::nurse:

Specializes in ICU.

It does sound strange. How many pharmacies are there that you go to where you cant remember where you got it filled. Or how many doctors offices do you go to that you cant remember which office you went to? For me, I go to the same doctor, and usually the same pharmacy. The whole situation just sounds odd.

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Wait....How do you lose the bottle for your medication, but still have the pills????

That was my biggest question...but good luck to you...

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Specializes in Emergency.

Sounds like the story we hear from pts in the ER everyday. How many pill boxes with pills do I see on any given day... let me see. Also FYI they generally don't test for DARVOCET specifically, the test for opiates unless thats what they missing.

That aside as long as you can get the valid RX information it should not be a problem. One thing of not how ever is typically they start asking questions if the RX is more than 6 months old.

R

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Specializes in Med Surg, Nursing Administration for SNF.
there is absolutely no reason to worry as long as you had a valid prescription at one time or another. .

Not true. If you do not have a valid prescription that is NOT EXPIRED then you may very well be referred to a nurse monitoring program and then for an evaluation by a doctor well versed in addiction. Taking a medication without a current and valid script is self-medicating and one of the reasons people become addicted to pain killers. The good news, the group is very helpful as a support system (addiction issues or not) and it doesn't hurt too bad. :wink2: In Florida it is called the IPN program and as a facilitator I can tell you that nurses who complete it still come back because the camaraderie is so wonderful.

Feel free to private text me if your boss refers you for further evaluation. But dont worry about your license (most boards of nsg will refer to a program and unless you are non compliant you'll be fine)

God bless and good luck!

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Specializes in geri, med/surg, neuro critical care.

Whenever I've taken a drug test, I've always had an opportunity to list the medications (prescription or otherwise) that I have taken so they know ahead of time in case it shows up in my sample. Did they not ask you the same thing?

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A little off subject question.

How long is a prescription for pain good for?

I always assumed a prescrition for pain meds were only good for a short

amount of time.

Sandy

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
It does sound strange. How many pharmacies are there that you go to where you cant remember where you got it filled. Or how many doctors offices do you go to that you cant remember which office you went to? For me, I go to the same doctor, and usually the same pharmacy. The whole situation just sounds odd.

:yeahthat::yeahthat:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.
Taking prescription drugs for a purpose other than it was prescribed for is illegal. If you were in severe pain, you should have seen your doctor. I don't know how much trouble you'll get into, but you should know better.

:nono:

Well, Im sure she was prescribed the meds originally for pain and she was experiencing pain. If they were hers and they were prescribed for HER, then I dont see the problem. She took her own drugs that were prescribed for her, which I dont see is illegal. Who hasnt done this. She does however need to keep the bottle of any prescription drugs she is taking for reasons such as this. If she is ever to get pulled over by a police for speeding or anything, any drugs need to be in their original bottle also.

They will probably drug test again to ensure there is no drug problem.

She needs to go to the pharmacy and obtain a med history. From now on, keep your bottles. :) Good luck and please keep us posted.

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Specializes in Emergency.
A little off subject question.

How long is a prescription for pain good for?

I always assumed a prescrition for pain meds were only good for a short

amount of time.

Sandy

THE key is short time. Typically for instance I work in the ER our doc's write pts RX's for example for say Percocet, #20 with no refills. Say this if for someone who sprains their ankle or suffers some other minor but painful injury. It is presumed that one will use all of them in a relatively short time. Say you are a nurse with said injury, where you get into trouble is 6 months down the road you take a couple of said left over Percocets for an unusually bad headache and then get tested for some reason. You now don't have a valid RX as you are not taking for what it was originally prescribed. As well our occupational health has advised if we get RX's for such meds to to use or dispose of them within 6 months as to not run in to a problem in this state-- FL.

Rj

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I'm sorry but what if that ankle starts hurting you again in 6 months and you take one of your originally rx pills. i don't see a problem with that. used to be written rx were good for a yr. check with the rx. If i pay for the medicine and have something similiar come up and need to use it then i am gonna use it. its mine, i paid for it, it was written for me. To the op: just call your rx for a copy of the script. and if its to old for thier comfort call your doctor for a new one.most will give one

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Specializes in Emergency.
I'm sorry but what if that ankle starts hurting you again in 6 months and you take one of your originally rx pills. i don't see a problem with that. used to be written rx were good for a yr. check with the rx. If i pay for the medicine and have something similiar come up and need to use it then i am gonna use it. its mine, i paid for it, it was written for me. To the op: just call your rx for a copy of the script. and if its to old for thier comfort call your doctor for a new one.most will give one

Thats all fine and good, but then the burden of proof is on you to proof that you are taking the med for what it was originally prescribed for. Like I just stated in my post above there are Florida nurses in the program because of this very reason.

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just a question how long is the nac in the bloodstream that will show up? a month? a few weeks?

b/c we have a nurse in a ltc that states that she took a nac that was not prescribed to her a month ago and she told the boss and now they are randomly drug testing. She thinks they are targeting her.

Just wondering if the "one month old pill story will show up or not".

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