Clinical drug monitoring

We recognize that behind every specimen and result there is a human life—a life whose quality may be improved when pain or other controlled medications are used as you prescribed. For example, for responsible patients with refractory chronic and recurring pain, opioids not only relieve suffering, but also can support normal daily functioning, alleviate stress, and improve sleep.

Periodic urine drug testing (UDT) can help you to:

• Monitor your patient treatment plan
• Detect other nonprescribed medication(s)
• Manage therapy safety and maintain availability for your patients by assisting with regulatory compliance
• Test for other drugs of abuse (cocaine, methamphetamine, etc)

Controlled substance medications have been linked to diversion (passing the drug on to others for sale or use), noncompliance, and abuse. 

If you oversee patients who take pain or other controlled medications, especially those whom you suspect may be abusing these substances, how can you meet state and federal regulations yet still provide access to needed therapies?

One step you can take is proactive drug monitoring with urine drug testing (UDT), which helps to:

• Supplement patient self-reporting and usage of state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) information, with documented lab results
• Identify drug compliance, diversion, or abuse

Quest Diagnostics constantly seeks innovative ways to enhance patient care and provide value to our customers. We provide tools that can help you create an efficient, reliable drug monitoring program.