ADHD medications in Medical School

[mct2762]

I have recently heard several rumors that it is difficult to get your license if you are taking ADHD medications. Anyone know if this is true? If I am on prescribed medications, is it better to stop taking them now before I even start school?

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[membername213]

I have recently heard several rumors that it is difficult to get your license if you are taking ADHD medications. Anyone know if this is true? If I am on prescribed medications, is it better to stop taking them now before I even start school?

Depending on your state, you may have to go through a drug test prior to matriculating first year of medical school. One of the drugs that are being screened is amphetamine, and adderall is essentially amphetamine salt. So if you're not on prescribed medications, I advise you stop taking the amphetamine salt immediately as it stays in your blood for awhile. You don't want the drug test to show positive on amphetamine before your clinical rotations. As for prescriptions, you may have to inform your school what specific psychiatric disorder you're facing and you are taking adderall or similar drugs currently. I'm sure they will understand.

 

[mct2762]

Depending on your state, you may have to go through a drug test prior to matriculating first year of medical school. One of the drugs that are being screened is amphetamine, and adderall is essentially amphetamine salt. So if you're not on prescribed medications, I advise you stop taking the amphetamine salt immediately as it stays in your blood for awhile. You don't want the drug test to show positive on amphetamine before your clinical rotations. As for prescriptions, you may have to inform your school what specific psychiatric disorder you're facing and you are taking adderall or similar drugs currently. I'm sure they will understand.

great, thanks

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Right, if you're being prescribed meds so that you can function no one will say anything. If you're taking adderal to get an extra boost then consider yourself blown.

 

[JacobLMDorDO]

What about pain medication? I take an opioid analgesic as needed for a well documented medical condition...

 

[membername213]

What about pain medication? I take an opioid analgesic as needed for a well documented medical condition...

Here is a list of drugs that are constantly being screened in medical schools/clinical rotations.
Amphetamines, Barbiturate, Cocaine, Cannabinoids, Methaqualone, Opiates, Phencyclidine, Benzodiazepines, Methadone, Propoxyphene, Creatinine, PH

 

[Mad Jack]

Prescribed medications should not preclude licensure. You will have to disclose what medications you are in along with providing a copy of your prescriptions and then you're good.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Here is a list of drugs that are constantly being screened in medical schools/clinical rotations.
Amphetamines, Barbiturate, Cocaine, Cannabinoids, Methaqualone, Opiates, Phencyclidine, Benzodiazepines, Methadone, Propoxyphene, Creatinine, PH

I wonder if Colorado and Washington test for cannabinoids still? How about people with recommendations like in California? Cannabis is in such a muddy place right now.

 

[doc4kids93]

Maybe.

 

[kelminak]

Why are there drug screens? I mean, who cares if you're taking marijuana if you're doing well in your classes? The only thing I'll test positive for is amphetamine because I'm taking prescription adderall (legal prescription, diagnosed with ADD a few months ago), and I don't understand why a person wouldn't get their license if they did stellar in all their classes and then fail a drug test?

Why is amphetamine even being tested? No person in med school is doing crystal meth and able to make it to graduation, and if they do test positive for amphetamine, it's probably an ADHD drug. So what's the point?

Please try to not bump threads that are over two years old. You should be able to comprehend why drug tests are absolutely important for physicians.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I have only had drug testing for employment, not for licensure. If you are taking chronic medications then you need to disclose that prior to drug testing and always have your prescription bottles available.

 

[AzizImSorry]

I know this thread is old but since it's been recently bumped..... why would they screen for creatinine? Am i missing something or does that seem stupid to anyone else?

 

[mouster]

I know this thread is old but since it's been recently bumped..... why would they screen for creatinine? Am i missing something or does that seem stupid to anyone else?

Creatinine is tested for to make sure that you don't dilute your urine (i.e. drinking a ton of water prior to your test to get the drug concentration diluted). I worked at a lab, and we had the "Golden Three" to test for dilution: creatinine, specific gravity, and color. If someone is trying to dilute their urine, they'll usually fail one of those three.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Why are there drug screens? I mean, who cares if you're taking marijuana if you're doing well in your classes? The only thing I'll test positive for is amphetamine because I'm taking prescription adderall (legal prescription, diagnosed with ADD a few months ago), and I don't understand why a person wouldn't get their license if they did stellar in all their classes and then fail a drug test?

Why is amphetamine even being tested? No person in med school is doing crystal meth and able to make it to graduation, and if they do test positive for amphetamine, it's probably an ADHD drug. So what's the point?

That scares me you asked this question and you're pre-med.

 

[AzizImSorry]

Creatinine is tested for to make sure that you don't dilute your urine (i.e. drinking a ton of water prior to your test to get the drug concentration diluted). I worked at a lab, and we had the "Golden Three" to test for dilution: creatinine, specific gravity, and color. If someone is trying to dilute their urine, they'll usually fail one of those three.

I see, thanks for enlightening me. But what if somebody uses creatine regularly for weight-lifting/body building and has a higher than normal creatinine level? Is that accounted for in creating the threshold for failing the drug test?

 

[j4pac]

I wonder if Colorado and Washington test for cannabinoids still? How about people with recommendations like in California? Cannabis is in such a muddy place right now.

I don't believe that they do hair follicle testing...so marijuana or derivatives should not be detectable after a few days unless you are a very heavy user on urine/blood (famous last words, I suppose). If someone tests positive for marijuana on an med school entrance drug test...that's going to throw up an enormous red flag in SPITE of laws. Someone can't abstain from marijuana for a few days? That's a sign of addiction (and yes, you can be psychologically addicted to a non-physiologically addictive agent...you can be addicted to your cellphone or gambling for instance) or you have very poor judgment. I would have concerns about a student matriculating under either condition.

 

[DrMikeP]

My hospital drug tests anyone wanting medical privileges. If you test positive for anything you must have a prescription. The hospital then reserves the right to permit practice under the use of such substance or not. The problem is that there are a significant number of physicians with drug problems and no hospital is going to risk being sued because a dr is practicing while under the influence or the doctor is pocketing meds. Like it or not that is the way it is.

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[mouster]

I see, thanks for enlightening me. But what if somebody uses creatine regularly for weight-lifting/body building and has a higher than normal creatinine level? Is that accounted for in creating the threshold for failing the drug test?

We would get medication/supplement lists for all of the patients we drug-screened (we mainly did it for criminal justice departments or private physicians' offices for medication management with opiate tx), so I suppose if you were taking creatine for muscle-building you could list it. However, to elevate your creatinine levels to a point where the test would flag them as abnormal would require a HUGE amount of creatine supplementation...like I'm talking an insane amount of creatine tablets per day. It's mainly a test to see if your creatinine levels are low rather than high.

 

[AzizImSorry]

We would get medication/supplement lists for all of the patients we drug-screened (we mainly did it for criminal justice departments or private physicians' offices for medication management with opiate tx), so I suppose if you were taking creatine for muscle-building you could list it. However, to elevate your creatinine levels to a point where the test would flag them as abnormal would require a HUGE amount of creatine supplementation...like I'm talking an insane amount of creatine tablets per day. It's mainly a test to see if your creatinine levels are low rather than high.

That's more along the lines of what I was thinking. Thanks!

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I don't believe that they do hair follicle testing...so marijuana or derivatives should not be detectable after a few days unless you are a very heavy user on urine/blood (famous last words, I suppose). If someone tests positive for marijuana on an med school entrance drug test...that's going to throw up an enormous red flag in SPITE of laws. Someone can't abstain from marijuana for a few days? That's a sign of addiction (and yes, you can be psychologically addicted to a non-physiologically addictive agent...you can be addicted to your cellphone or gambling for instance) or you have very poor judgment. I would have concerns about a student matriculating under either condition.

This is not true. Someone can smoke every 2-3 weeks for a couple of months (clearly not an addict) and that'll show up in a test a month later. Also, if I tell my university today I'm addicted to gambling and do it legally in Vegas this "red flag" would be meaningless because the law protects me.

 

[j4pac]

This is not true. Someone can smoke every 2-3 weeks for a couple of months (clearly not an addict) and that'll show up in a test a month later. Also, if I tell my university today I'm addicted to gambling and do it legally in Vegas this "red flag" would be meaningless because the law protects me.

Can...but it's uncommon...therefore the famous last words. I would have trouble with matriculating an addict of any form without remission and I'm sure that there will be Deans who share that view. Testing positive for weed is the litmus test for stupidity and lack of self control. I'm not an anti-weed guy by any stretch of the imagination...but I have no problem with a guy who tests positive from never becoming a doc. If I was told that a drug screen would include chicken...then guess what I'd do...I'd avoid chicken like its rat poisoning. I wouldn't leave it to chance...I wouldn't complain of how its a stupid rule...I wouldn't complain about how chicken is completely legal. I'd just avoid it.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Can...but it's uncommon...therefore the famous last words. I would have trouble with matriculating an addict of any form without remission and I'm sure that there will be Deans who share that view. Testing positive for weed is the litmus test for stupidity and lack of self control. I'm not an anti-weed guy by any stretch of the imagination...but I have no problem with a guy who tests positive from never becoming a doc. If I was told that a drug screen would include chicken...then guess what I'd do...I'd avoid chicken like its rat poisoning. I wouldn't leave it to chance...I wouldn't complain of how its a stupid rule...I wouldn't complain about how chicken is completely legal. I'd just avoid it.

It would test positive a month later. Good thing you're not the one admitting people. Schools should have no business on how you conduct your life outside of what is legal and what is not.

 

[ortnakas]

It would test positive a month later. Good thing you're not the one admitting people. Schools should have no business on how you conduct your life outside of what is legal and what is not.

Schools and businesses are allowed to have drug policies that are more restrictive than the laws of the state. I used to live in one of the states where recreational marijuana was legalized, and the hospital I worked at made it abundantly clear that marijuana still fell under their drug-free workplace policy. I'm not saying "everyone who smokes marijuana will be a bad doctor" because that's simply not the case, but med schools, residency programs, hospitals, etc. are within their rights to drug test for it if they want to.

I completely agree with you that the delayed positive tests are a concern, since they don't really correlate with degree of impairment at a given time. Hopefully somebody develops an accurate THC test at some point (for field sobriety testing even more importantly than for drug screening).

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Schools and businesses are allowed to have drug policies that are more restrictive than the laws of the state. I used to live in one of the states where recreational marijuana was legalized, and the hospital I worked at made it abundantly clear that marijuana still fell under their drug-free workplace policy. I'm not saying "everyone who smokes marijuana will be a bad doctor" because that's simply not the case, but med schools, residency programs, hospitals, etc. are within their rights to drug test for it if they want to.

I completely agree with you that the delayed positive tests are a concern, since they don't really correlate with degree of impairment at a given time. Hopefully somebody develops an accurate THC test at some point (for field sobriety testing even more importantly than for drug screening).

I understand they unfortunately do have that freedom, but we wouldn't ban someone from medical school if they were blacked out drunk the night before. I'm pretty sure school that attempted to ban someone for behavior outside of school like that would end up in the court system. We only do it to marijuana because it's stigmatized, but now that it's legal, we need to change our laws, if anything at least for those that take it medically.

 

[Goro]

You seem to keep forgetting that it's not about you, but what the school wants.

It would test positive a month later. Good thing you're not the one admitting people. Schools should have no business on how you conduct your life outside of what is legal and what is not.

 

[Goro]

As an aside, what did OP do to get smacked by the banhammer?

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

You seem to keep forgetting that it's not about you, but what the school wants.

If it were only up to you, you'd want every detail in existence. There's a reason we have privacy laws protecting us from invasive people and companies

 

[Goro]

And your point?

If it were only up to you, you'd want every detail in existence. There's a reason we have privacy laws protecting us from invasive people and companies

 

[DrMikeP]

If it were only up to you, you'd want every detail in existence. There's a reason we have privacy laws protecting us from invasive people and companies

Ultimately we no longer have much protection of our privacy. You do realize the federal government can seize everything in your office as a physician and under the patriot act you can only hire a lawyer from those they allow. You can't even tell anyone your records were seized. Businesses can drug test you at will and fire you accordingly. Etc etc...

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[AlbinoHawk DO]

And your point?

My point is very clear. You can figure it if you just try.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Ultimately we no longer have much protection of our privacy. You do realize the federal government can seize everything in your office as a physician and under the patriot act you can only hire a lawyer from those they allow. You can't even tell anyone your records were seized. Businesses can drug test you at will and fire you accordingly. Etc etc...

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

No, I didn't know that. I'm not doubting you, but if you have links to read about it, I'd appreciate it.

 

[AzizImSorry]

Sometimes I wonder how threads get from A to R skipping all the letters in between... but then I realize that's just how SDN is. C'est la internet. People take things so personally here

 

[Goro]

And google knows a LOT more about you that the gov't!

No, I didn't know that. I'm not doubting you, but if you have links to read about it, I'd appreciate it.

 

[DrMikeP]

No, I didn't know that. I'm not doubting you, but if you have links to read about it, I'd appreciate it.

I don't have the links handy, but look up and read the patriot act. Medscape if I remember correctly had a great article on it. I did a presentation at my hospital in ethical challenges and confidentiality in a psych environment is how I learned about it.

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[grapp]

As an aside, what did OP do to get smacked by the banhammer?

I wanna know too, did you ever find out?

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

Depending on your state, you may have to go through a drug test prior to matriculating first year of medical school. One of the drugs that are being screened is amphetamine, and adderall is essentially amphetamine salt. So if you're not on prescribed medications, I advise you stop taking the amphetamine salt immediately as it stays in your blood for awhile. You don't want the drug test to show positive on amphetamine before your clinical rotations. As for prescriptions, you may have to inform your school what specific psychiatric disorder you're facing and you are taking adderall or similar drugs currently. I'm sure they will understand.

This is not true. I took a drug urine and blood test for a scribe job and I was 3 weeks out of taking amphetamine salts when I had my test done and my results were negative. I did not use any "detox" either.

 

[ATPsynthase123]

Maybe.

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