Pre-employment drug screen suboxone

Nurses Recovery

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I will be graduating from nursing school in a couple of weeks, and I have a pre-employment drug screen already scheduled. I have not been in active addiction for over 10yrs and am on suboxone therapy. What would happen if tested positive for suboxone with a legitimate prescription, and I have never not followed the prescription?

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Specializes in Hospice.

If you have a valid prescription for suboxone therapy and your level is within therapeutic range, you should have nothing to worry about ?

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Nurse-Megan, thank you for your reply. Do you know if the lab reports to the employer, which is a hospital, what medication you are taking?

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Specializes in Hospice.

In my experience the lab only discloses that information if the results are out of range.

I take prescribed suboxone as well and I haven’t had an issue regarding labs and employment. I am in the monitoring program for 5 years, I actually just started my forever long sentence in October.

What state are you in?

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Indiana

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Specializes in Hospice.

Are you afraid of your employer finding out you’re on suboxone?

First of all, congratulations on being “clean” for a decade. That’s amazing!

Ive been clean for 6 months...best decision I’ve ever made.

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I'm so glad I found this thread. I tapered off of Suboxone and finally stopped taking it in May of 2017 but I was afraid I wouldn't be permitted to attend nursing school with that on my record. I got inducted August 2014, and the last time I used was December 2014, so I've been clean for nearly five years. It's heartening to know that even with that in my past, nursing is still a career path in my future.

I'm sorry I can't answer this question specifically but I just wanted to thank you all for sharing.

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Specializes in Med/Surg & Psych.

I would be upfront with them and explain your situation before you test. Make sure they are OK with it and will not say anything to the BON. when you took the NCLEX they usually ask if you have a h/o alcohol or drug abuse. If you answered no you don't want them to find out any different. I'm in my states program and although getting clean saved my life, it's a long, expensive program.

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Specializes in Informatics/Med Surg/Psych.

Just speaking with experience in recovery I think Suboxone is a great drug to help individuals wean off opiates. However, it is my understanding that the drug was not made to be used long term as a substitute. I would highly recommend that you work with an addictionologist who knows a lot about recovery and also work with someone in a 12 step program. Even if prescribed Suboxone you still run the risk of harming a patient due to being under the influence at work even if you are used to the effects of Suboxone. I would say the same thing to anyone that is not a recovering addict and takes opiates regularly for pain.

I hope that I do not come off as being inconsiderate. I just love recovery and want whats best for recovery nurses as well as patients.

Just as a side note I have been going to AA and NA for 16 years. My most recent sobriety date is 10/1/2011. I pray that I never have to change it again.

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JK 123,

I have been under the care of a great doctor who specializes in addiction for the entire time of recovery, and not only work a 12 step program, I also am a sponsor. I'm not sure where you are getting that suboxone is only meant to be short term, it is accepted by many addictionologist, that long term use is appropriate for some patients. This should be accompanied with counseling, which my provider mandates. My recovery has been stable from the time I started with my provider. I have even had to be on opioid pain medications on 3 different occasions due to surgeries, and had absolutely no issues going right back on suboxone, and continuing my program. You do not "feel" any effects of suboxone when you are under long term suboxone therapy. Suboxone has been one of the tools that has allowed me to be a stable and successful wife, mother, daughter, and student.

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Specializes in Informatics/Med Surg/Psych.

Hi bgirl123,

I can understand your frustration. I work on an adult psych/detox unit, my mother in law is an addictionologist, and I also have experience as a previous drug user and recovering addict. I am also going to school to become a PMHNP.

I'm not saying that Suboxone is worse than using some of the opiates but it is still that, an opiate. I too have taken prescription pain medicine for surgery and actually flushed them once I no longer needed them. It was difficult though. I wasn't responding to your post to upset you, but rather to state my beliefs and many others' beliefs as it relates to sobriety or clean time.

I might be wrong though and will keep an open mind as I dig deeper. ?

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Specializes in STEP DOWN.
On 12/17/2019 at 7:22 AM, JK123 said:

Hi bgirl123,

I can understand your frustration. I work on an adult psych/detox unit, my mother in law is an addictionologist, and I also have experience as a previous drug user and recovering addict. I am also going to school to become a PMHNP.

I'm not saying that Suboxone is worse than using some of the opiates but it is still that, an opiate. I too have taken prescription pain medicine for surgery and actually flushed them once I no longer needed them. It was difficult though. I wasn't responding to your post to upset you, but rather to state my beliefs and many others' beliefs as it relates to sobriety or clean time.

I might be wrong though and will keep an open mind as I dig deeper. ?

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, meaning it interacts with the same opioid receptors that other opiates do. However it is not an OPIATE as you stated. 

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