Reasons for Drug Testing

For physicians treating patients with pain there are many challenges. Pain is subjective and many times difficult to treat, leaving unanswered questions. Many physicians choose to not prescribe controlled substances because of the fear and questions regarding abuse and addiction with their patients.

Urine drug monitoring has become widely recognized and recommended by the AMA & DEA as a gold standard in those patients treated with medications for acute and chronic pain.

• Our interventional pain physician owners can counsel & teach you proper medical record documentation for patients on controlled substances to protect you in the case of a DEA investigation or audit.
• Identify recent use of prescription medications, non-prescribed medications and illicit substances.
• Monitor and support decisions about medication therapy, particularly controlled substances.
• Detect medications that may result in a drug-drug interaction.
• Advocate for and communicate with patients about individual treatment plans.

For employers the need to know with exact precision and specificity if and what their employees or potential employees are taking or abusing is critical to the safety and integrity of the company.

• Hawaii ranks among the top 10 states for rates of illicit drug use among those age 12 and older.
• Hawaii workforce drug testing positive rate has increased for the first time in 10 years.
• Workplace drug use has cost employers $81 billion annually in lost productivity.