Current standards of care related to opioid prescribing encourage physicians and physician assistants to take appropriate steps to monitor their patients. Urine drug screening (UDS) is a popular monitoring method. Other methods include regular use of the state’s prescription database to check patient prescription histories, or requiring regular pill counts.

The Board has recently noticed an increase in patient calls in regards to UDS in particular. Concerns raised by patients include overuse of UDS, poor or nonexistent insurance coverage, alleged incorrect interpretation of test results, and poor communication of practice policies related to UDS.

UDS can be a useful tool when administered and interpreted correctly. Licensees are encouraged to fully inform themselves about this monitoring method to ensure its benefit. Click here for a few examples of calls related to UDS that have been handled by Board staff in recent months.