Controlling Patient Medication Intake through Drug Testing
Why Prevent Abuse of Prescription Drugs
Prescription drugs are given to provide cure and aid the patient towards recovery. There is generally no intention on the part of a medical practitioner to abet a patient's personal desire to get high by virtue of the intoxicating properties of a legally-controlled drug. The idea is to cure the patient and not to spawn another medical condition called drug addiction.
Whether or not a patient is attempting to abuse a prescription drug for a "valid" reason, the primary caretaker has the responsibility to ensure that the patient is not abusing the medication. We speak of validity here as something which the patient perceives as critically important such as the need to "forget' about the existing sickness for a while as one way of coping. The reasons given may not necessarily be right in societal standards but right in the eyes of a patient undergoing a highly stressful situation.
It is incumbent therefore on responsible people to have a way of checking or monitoring a patient's drug intake to be of real assistance. Drug testing is one way of knowing whether a prescription drug is being abused or not. It is important however to know what specific drug is being sought to be detected since there are different drug tests for specific drugs. Drug home testing kits can be used and can be further confirmed through professional laboratory testing.
Drug Detection as to Time
Drugs of abuse can be detected within a specific time frame starting from the time the drug was taken. Marijuana or pot is usually detected within 1 to 3 hours after intake and can continue to be detected up to 7 days. Cocaine shows up in the bodily system within 2 to 6 hours after intake and can be detected up to 2 to 3 days. Heroin also appears in the system within 2 to 6 hours and like cocaine can still be detected up to 3 days.
Amphetamine and methamphetamine as well as PCP reveal their presence within 4 to 6 hours after intake. However, PCP stays longer in the system and can still be detected up to 7 to 14 days as compared to amphetamine and methamphetamine which remains detectable only up to 2 to 3 days. Ecstasy and Benzodiazepine are both detectable within 2 to 7 hours and can remain so up to 4 days.
Barbiturates probably stay the longest in the bodily system since it can be detected even up to 3 weeks after use. Positive tests can be obtained within 2 to 4 hours after intake. Methadone can be detected within 3 to 8 hours and remain detectable up to 3 days. Tricyclic Antidepressants intake shows positive results within 8 to 12 hours and can be traced up to 7 days. Oxycodone shows up in the system within 1 to 3 hours and provides a window for testing for only up to 2 days. It is a legal prescription drug that can easily be abused when taken for non-medical purposes or beyond the medical purpose for which it was prescribed.
The clearance time indicated above may vary depending on several factors. A person's metabolism can affect the state of detectability of the drug, the length of time the drug was actually used and in what amount they are used can also affect detection time.
Drug Testing Methods
When there is a need to know whether drug use or abuse is happening, there are several drug test options available. Some provide instantaneous results while others require a minimal waiting period for provision of conclusive results. The most common drug testing methods make use of human specimens including urine, hair, saliva, and blood.
Urine testing is one of the most preferred testing methods of schools and employers. It is relatively cheap and is non-invasive. It only requires the person being tested to provide a fresh urine sample for testing. This kind of testing can be done on-site (in laboratories) or off-site (in work areas or in schools). However, certain precautionary measures are put in place to eliminate attempts to adulterate the results mainly through specimen switching or taking detoxification products.
Saliva testing is the most convenient and is likewise cheap. Random drug testing is easily done since no special site has to be put up to obtain the specimen. Again, these tests can be adulterated with the use of certain detoxification products.
Blood testing is the most expensive and the most invasive since it requires drawing out blood from the person being tested usually through the use of a needle. However, this type of testing is seen as the most conclusive since a positive result confirms the presence of the drug in question in the bodily system. Detection time varies and this will have to be considered in testing.
Hair testing is another method. It requires a specific quantity of hair sample typically cut about 1 ½ inches from the scalp. Once drugs have travelled through the body into the hair, traces can stay for a long time unless hair is purposely cut closest to the scalp. Other possible tests include fingernail analysis and eye drug testing.
Prescription drugs are given to provide cure and aid the patient towards recovery. There is generally no intention on the part of a medical practitioner to abet a patient's personal desire to get high by virtue of the intoxicating properties of a legally-controlled drug. The idea is to cure the patient and not to spawn another medical condition called drug addiction.
Whether or not a patient is attempting to abuse a prescription drug for a "valid" reason, the primary caretaker has the responsibility to ensure that the patient is not abusing the medication. We speak of validity here as something which the patient perceives as critically important such as the need to "forget' about the existing sickness for a while as one way of coping. The reasons given may not necessarily be right in societal standards but right in the eyes of a patient undergoing a highly stressful situation.
It is incumbent therefore on responsible people to have a way of checking or monitoring a patient's drug intake to be of real assistance. Drug testing is one way of knowing whether a prescription drug is being abused or not. It is important however to know what specific drug is being sought to be detected since there are different drug tests for specific drugs. Drug home testing kits can be used and can be further confirmed through professional laboratory testing.
Drug Detection as to Time
Drugs of abuse can be detected within a specific time frame starting from the time the drug was taken. Marijuana or pot is usually detected within 1 to 3 hours after intake and can continue to be detected up to 7 days. Cocaine shows up in the bodily system within 2 to 6 hours after intake and can be detected up to 2 to 3 days. Heroin also appears in the system within 2 to 6 hours and like cocaine can still be detected up to 3 days.
Amphetamine and methamphetamine as well as PCP reveal their presence within 4 to 6 hours after intake. However, PCP stays longer in the system and can still be detected up to 7 to 14 days as compared to amphetamine and methamphetamine which remains detectable only up to 2 to 3 days. Ecstasy and Benzodiazepine are both detectable within 2 to 7 hours and can remain so up to 4 days.
Barbiturates probably stay the longest in the bodily system since it can be detected even up to 3 weeks after use. Positive tests can be obtained within 2 to 4 hours after intake. Methadone can be detected within 3 to 8 hours and remain detectable up to 3 days. Tricyclic Antidepressants intake shows positive results within 8 to 12 hours and can be traced up to 7 days. Oxycodone shows up in the system within 1 to 3 hours and provides a window for testing for only up to 2 days. It is a legal prescription drug that can easily be abused when taken for non-medical purposes or beyond the medical purpose for which it was prescribed.
The clearance time indicated above may vary depending on several factors. A person's metabolism can affect the state of detectability of the drug, the length of time the drug was actually used and in what amount they are used can also affect detection time.
Drug Testing Methods
When there is a need to know whether drug use or abuse is happening, there are several drug test options available. Some provide instantaneous results while others require a minimal waiting period for provision of conclusive results. The most common drug testing methods make use of human specimens including urine, hair, saliva, and blood.
Urine testing is one of the most preferred testing methods of schools and employers. It is relatively cheap and is non-invasive. It only requires the person being tested to provide a fresh urine sample for testing. This kind of testing can be done on-site (in laboratories) or off-site (in work areas or in schools). However, certain precautionary measures are put in place to eliminate attempts to adulterate the results mainly through specimen switching or taking detoxification products.
Saliva testing is the most convenient and is likewise cheap. Random drug testing is easily done since no special site has to be put up to obtain the specimen. Again, these tests can be adulterated with the use of certain detoxification products.
Blood testing is the most expensive and the most invasive since it requires drawing out blood from the person being tested usually through the use of a needle. However, this type of testing is seen as the most conclusive since a positive result confirms the presence of the drug in question in the bodily system. Detection time varies and this will have to be considered in testing.
Hair testing is another method. It requires a specific quantity of hair sample typically cut about 1 ½ inches from the scalp. Once drugs have travelled through the body into the hair, traces can stay for a long time unless hair is purposely cut closest to the scalp. Other possible tests include fingernail analysis and eye drug testing.