Drug Screen for First Job

Drug Screen for First Jobould like to apologize if this is in the incorrect forum. I thought the off topic forum would be best.

I am about to get my first “real career” job. Human Resources called me today and said that this Wednesday I will have to come in, fill out some stuff and do some sort of drug test. It was only mentioned briefly, but drug test perked my ears up the most because I have never dealt with this sort of thing.

  1. How does it work? I heard that Human Resources and even the director who offered the job doesn’t know the results of the test and someone from the drug taking office or something calls you to tell you the results. Is this the case? So they will not know why I did or did not accept the job if it comes down to it?

  2. Now you may be wondering why I’m asking this as if I sound guilty or something. This isn’t the case, however, I am on A LOT of medication that shows up on drug tests and I’m worried they can say no even with a doctors script? Could they?

-I am on 3 benzodiazepines (Xanax, Clonazepam, Halcion, coming off ativan currently). I’m currently coming off all of them. But I still take some when needed. Last time was today and I’ll probably take it till the test so I don’t have a panic attack.

-I occasionally take percocet every week if my abdomen hurts after running. I had an abdominoplasty a few months ago and don’t get medication anymore but I saved some if it did. My last one was Monday morning.

-I have some sort of chronic bronchitis type thing ever since I had pneumonia 3 years ago. I can’t stop coughing basically on certain days for no reason and allergies were ruled out. So the doctor sometimes switches me between codeine/promethazine to a hydrocodone combination. Last dose was Friday.

-I also have ADHD however I only need to take about 1-0.5 pill every 3 days. This is Dexedrine

As long as I give them my prescription information and stuff everything should be okay right?

Some people are telling me I have to actually go to lengths of actually bringing in bottles and I don’t even have them in some cases because my therapist told me to just put them in the medication sorting thing.

Is anyone able to relieve my anxiety about this in any way, for instance by describing what happens if you had to go through it.

I was told not to say anything about it before the test (regarding my testing positive in certain areas). To only reply after HR makes a call to me or somehow calls me back to talk about it? Is this true?

Sorry for starting what probably seems like a stupid topic but I was just quite nervous about this and everyone here gives great advice.

Thanks for the help and I hope you all have a great day!

If you’ve only ever taken anything that was prescribed to you, you’ll be fine.

lol

I deal with drug screens all day. You don’t need to bring in bottles or anything when you test. However, if you have to fill out forms disclosing medications you are taking, for god’s sake, be honest.

When you test and it comes out positive it is sent the the Medical Review Officer (MRO) to review. They will contact you at that time to get your prescription info. When the MRO contacts you, they will give you a fax number. Have your doc or pharmacy fax the prescription info to the MRO. As long as it was actually prescribed you will be fine. You usually have three days to call the MRO once they try to contact you. If they don’t hear from you in that time, you are defined as a Non-Contact Positive (which is the same as verified positive).

Depending on what work you are doing, they may place safety sensitive restrictions on you (like if you are a crane operator or truck driver). Then HR might not hire you, but that’s up to their policy.

Pura blend tea drink 1 gallon the day before. Take niacin pills and golden seal the day of piss + a multi vitamin so pee looks yellow

If you dont have to do it in front of someone just bring in some piss from a clean buddy or relative… Keep it close to your body so its a good temp

I passed plenty of PO pee tests back in the day those tricks always worked for me :slight_smile:

[quote]doogie wrote:
I deal with drug screens all day. You don’t need to bring in bottles or anything when you test. However, if you have to fill out forms disclosing medications you are taking, for god’s sake, be honest.

When you test and it comes out positive it is sent the the Medical Review Officer (MRO) to review. They will contact you at that time to get your prescription info. When the MRO contacts you, they will give you a fax number. Have your doc or pharmacy fax the prescription info to the MRO. As long as it was actually prescribed you will be fine. You usually have three days to call the MRO once they try to contact you. If they don’t hear from you in that time, you are defined as a Non-Contact Positive (which is the same as verified positive).

Depending on what work you are doing, they may place safety sensitive restrictions on you (like if you are a crane operator or truck driver). Then HR might not hire you, but that’s up to their policy.

[/quote]

Thanks for the reply, as it was pretty much the most helpful. I’m not trying to get medication out of my system, but I would just like to know the process involved so I can be prepared for my first job in my career.

I have the job and go to the orientation in August. This is just the last hoop I have to pass through and I just wanted to make sure I am doing everything right.

Tomorrow I am going to go to my pharmacist to get all of my relevant prescription information for the medications I will test positive for. I was told by someone at human resources, to make their life easier, to bring this information there so they have it all beforehand. Is this true?

I was told that I will bring this “information such as bottles or whatever has prescription information on it (what meds that may show up in the urine test)” to the actual nurse who hands me the urine cup, not anyone else.

Human Resources said that the other possible way was that the will just have you simply put a check mark next to medications that may show up on the test. In this case, she said it would still be a good idea to get the prescription information beforehand.

I’m just going off what they have said but it could be wrong for all I know.

But, basically, what you are saying in the quote above is that I don’t have to go through asking the pharmacist this and just have them fax this information when the time comes?

If anyone else as any advice to offer between now and Wednesday that would be great.

Thanks and have a great day.

I would just write down the medications you are on and usually this info is private between you and the tester… Your employer should not have access to that type of info. I was on several different medications for anxiety before, applied for a job and got drug tested… For some reason even AFTER the drug test the employer claimed I was using recreational drugs and fired me… I came into work pretty glossy eyed and tired and they thought I was smoking weed lol, actually I almost followed through with suing them since they had absolute no basis to their claim and I was even drug tested previously by them. I have never even used drugs in my life for recreation, ever…

Anyways that being said it was just a funny experience that happened to me personally that your thread reminded me of, You are however on a seriously high amount of benzos there… Is that all for anxiety? I know you mentioned other health problems you take medication for as well.

On one last note I actually had about as bad of anxiety anyone could suffer from but fully recovered and weaned off all the medication I had been using… If you ever wanted to look into curing your anxiety for good instead of coping with it check out a book called “At last a life” by Paul David.

[quote]thehebrewhero wrote:
Pura blend tea drink 1 gallon the day before. Take niacin pills and golden seal the day of piss + a multi vitamin so pee looks yellow

If you dont have to do it in front of someone just bring in some piss from a clean buddy or relative… Keep it close to your body so its a good temp

I passed plenty of PO pee tests back in the day those tricks always worked for me :)[/quote]

Great, glad I don’t live in KC. I hope you weren’t working heavy equipment.

[quote]Haymaker33 wrote:
Thanks for the reply, as it was pretty much the most helpful. I’m not trying to get medication out of my system, but I would just like to know the process involved so I can be prepared for my first job in my career.

I have the job and go to the orientation in August. This is just the last hoop I have to pass through and I just wanted to make sure I am doing everything right.

Tomorrow I am going to go to my pharmacist to get all of my relevant prescription information for the medications I will test positive for. I was told by someone at human resources, to make their life easier, to bring this information there so they have it all beforehand. Is this true?

I was told that I will bring this “information such as bottles or whatever has prescription information on it (what meds that may show up in the urine test)” to the actual nurse who hands me the urine cup, not anyone else.

Human Resources said that the other possible way was that the will just have you simply put a check mark next to medications that may show up on the test. In this case, she said it would still be a good idea to get the prescription information beforehand.

I’m just going off what they have said but it could be wrong for all I know.

But, basically, what you are saying in the quote above is that I don’t have to go through asking the pharmacist this and just have them fax this information when the time comes?

If anyone else as any advice to offer between now and Wednesday that would be great.

Thanks and have a great day.
[/quote]

I wouldn’t give employer your scripts. That’s private medical information. You can, but I just wouldn’t. It is none of their business.

Don’t give the employer or the tester the scripts. It’s none of their business, and there is nothing the tester can do with the information to change the process. DOT regulations say the tester isn’t allowed to take that information, although you can list the meds on the back of the Chain of Custody form for the MRO. However, they will still call you to get the scripts so it doesn’t matter.

If you are asked to list the meds, then be honest… That is a big thing (again, depending on what the job is).

Just wait for the MRO to call you and then fax the scripts to them. Assuming the urine sample goes out the night you take it, the lab should have the results the next day, then maybe a day for the MRO to get around to calling you. Don’t sweat it.

I was recovering from a knee injury when I was hired for a job and was still taking Tylenol codein. I had to disclose that up front. Since I was operating machinery, they had to talk to my orthopedic doctor and eventually my workman’s compensation lawyer had to get involved. It delayed my start by 6 weeks. I wound up having to agree to stop taking the codein.

You should be fine if you tell them up front what you’re taking. Lots of people at work take lots of drugs and you’d never know it.

Rob

Why the fuck are you taking so much medication?

[quote]thehebrewhero wrote:
Pura blend tea drink 1 gallon the day before. Take niacin pills and golden seal the day of piss + a multi vitamin so pee looks yellow

If you dont have to do it in front of someone just bring in some piss from a clean buddy or relative… Keep it close to your body so its a good temp

I passed plenty of PO pee tests back in the day those tricks always worked for me :)[/quote]
Wow, what a hero

[quote]csulli wrote:
Why the fuck are you taking so much medication?[/quote]
That is for another thread my friend.

[quote]thehebrewhero wrote:
Pura blend tea drink 1 gallon the day before. Take niacin pills and golden seal the day of piss + a multi vitamin so pee looks yellow

If you dont have to do it in front of someone just bring in some piss from a clean buddy or relative… Keep it close to your body so its a good temp

I passed plenty of PO pee tests back in the day those tricks always worked for me :)[/quote]

Why would you tell a young person to lie to their first employer when they are doing nothing wrong?

OP, this advice is stupid. Be honest on the forms. You’ll be fine and have nothing to worry about.

[quote]csulli wrote:
Why the fuck are you taking so much medication?[/quote]

Have you ever had severe anxiety or panic attacks?

If not, then you really don’t understand the need for what he is on.

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

[quote]csulli wrote:
Why the fuck are you taking so much medication?[/quote]

Have you ever had severe anxiety or panic attacks?

If not, then you really don’t understand the need for what he is on.[/quote]
Utah, I have my own medical opinions, but again should be another thread.

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

[quote]csulli wrote:
Why the fuck are you taking so much medication?[/quote]

Have you ever had severe anxiety or panic attacks?

If not, then you really don’t understand the need for what he is on.[/quote]
Utah, I have my own medical opinions, but again should be another thread.

[/quote]

fibromyalgia?

[quote]Testy1 wrote:

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

[quote]csulli wrote:
Why the fuck are you taking so much medication?[/quote]

Have you ever had severe anxiety or panic attacks?

If not, then you really don’t understand the need for what he is on.[/quote]
Utah, I have my own medical opinions, but again should be another thread.

[/quote]

fibromyalgia?
[/quote]
We have a winner

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]Testy1 wrote:

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

[quote]csulli wrote:
Why the fuck are you taking so much medication?[/quote]

Have you ever had severe anxiety or panic attacks?

If not, then you really don’t understand the need for what he is on.[/quote]
Utah, I have my own medical opinions, but again should be another thread.

[/quote]

fibromyalgia?
[/quote]
We have a winner[/quote]

How do you catch this fibromyalgia? Is it like a virus or bacteria?