Question about employer drug testing

[pharaday]

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I had a customer call the pharmacy today with a question I haven't heard before and wasn't sure how to answer. She said she was just given a job offer, and that she would have to take a drug test prior to starting. She said her doctor gave her a prescription for 30 tablets of Xanax a year or two ago, but she only very occasionally takes half a tablet and still has 25 tablets left. She asked me if there was a time limit that a prescription is valid for in the event that she had any in her system at the time of the drug test. I initially said as long as she had a valid script for it, it was fine. However, then I started to think that couldn't anyone who ever had a prescription for a particular controlled substance just say that their doctor wrote a script for it years ago and that they still had some left? Just trying to figure out if there is a time limit. I told her I'd let her know if I could find the answer. Anyone know? Thanks!

 

[LazyMooch]

So all I have to do is get a prescription for medical marijuanna and tell my employers for years that I was just finishing the prescription because I used it only occasionally...

Genius!

 

[SortingItOut]

Giving the benefit of the doubt here...

My personal opinion:
That's really something she needs to talk to her doctor about. From a health perspective, there is the concern over whether or not she is still keeping in contact with her doctor regarding her treatment. Besides, she is taking 1+ year old tablets. They are probably expired anyway. If the doctor still wants her on Xanax, he/she can write a new script, and the patient gets fresh tablets with an up-to-date label.

 

[pharaday]

That's really something she needs to talk to her doctor about. From a health perspective, there is the concern over whether or not she is still keeping in contact with her doctor regarding her treatment. Besides, she is taking 1+ year old tablets. They are probably expired anyway. If the doctor still wants her on Xanax, he/she can write a new script, and the patient gets fresh tablets with an up-to-date label.

I definitely did go over all of that with her. She didn't seem to care about how old they were. I'm always surprised by how freely people will take expired medications they find around their house. It especially gets on my nerves when people call asking how often to take antibiotics they found from who knows how long ago to treat their current condition and then shout at you when you tell them they shouldn't do that.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

The original RX would be expired and therefore invalid, but that's irrelevant to her right to possess the tablets. As far as I know, there's no time limit. She can keep them for years as long as they were legally prescribed and obtained.

 

[Kansas Pharmer]

The original RX would be expired and therefore invalid, but that's irrelevantto her right to possess the tablets. As far as I know, there's no time limit. You can have them as long as they were legally prescribed and obtained.

Maybe I have a limited understanding of the laws but... I agree that the client can legally possess the Xanax since it is in his/her name and was legally prescribed. Actually taking some of it now is another subject altogether.

I spent a number of years under drug/alcohol requirements of the Dept of Trans (FAA to be specific). If I would have come up hot on any of my randoms, I would have been asked to produce the prescription. If it had an expired date on it and I was taking it, or if it was BID for a month and I was taking it a year later, I would have been canned on the spot and would have risked losing my federal licenses.

 

[Farmercyst]

I definitely did go over all of that with her. She didn't seem to care about how old they were. I'm always surprised by how freely people will take expired medications they find around their house. It especially gets on my nerves when people call asking how often to take antibiotics they found from who knows how long ago to treat their current condition and then shout at you when you tell them they shouldn't do that.

The benzos in our pharmacy right now expire anywhere from 2012 to 2015 on some bottles. 1 year may not be long enough for expired. If she only got 30 and it's lasted 1 year she's averaging less than 1 every 10 days. Depending on the t1/2 of the tested metabolite, she may have nothing to worry about.

I had a guy come in asking if we had anything he could use to beat an MJ test the other day. Told him I didn't think so, but offered him the home MJ kit. Told him if the home kit doesn't catch it, the tox screen probably won't either. 🙄

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Maybe I have a limited understanding of the laws but... I agree that the client can legally possess the Xanax since it is in his/her name and was legally prescribed. Actually taking some of it now is another subject altogether.

I spent a number of years under drug/alcohol requirements of the Dept of Trans (FAA to be specific). If I would have come up hot on any of my randoms, I would have been asked to produce the prescription. If it had an expired date on it and I was taking it, or if it was BID for a month and I was taking it a year later, I would have been canned on the spot and would have risked losing my federal licenses.

Well, yeah. Employer specific stuff is different, but she should know the terms of her employment contract (I hope). My dad (former truck driver) could have been fired if he was found with mouthwash containing any amount of alcohol in his truck. But that's not law.

I just don't think there is any provision in law that constrains someone from keeping expired meds or old meds or requires patients to dispose of controlled meds beyond the date of the original RX. And if you're allowed to possess them (under the law), I think you're permitted to use them. The only thing you can't do is transfer controlled subs to someone else. That is illegal.

I could be wrong, though.

Edit: If her original sig was PRN, she's still taking them according to the directions and that should be fine for her employer too. Provided there aren't any blanket "no benzos" policy from her employer.

 

[npage148]

The benzos in our pharmacy right now expire anywhere from 2012 to 2015 on some bottles. 1 year may not be long enough for expired. If she only got 30 and it's lasted 1 year she's averaging less than 1 every 10 days. Depending on the t1/2 of the tested metabolite, she may have nothing to worry about.

The expiration date on stock bottles is only valid in an unopened bottle in a controlled environment. It is meaningless (legally) once the seal is broken. That being said, the pills are likely w/in testing specs for a long time after that date and even after being dispensed and being kept in who knows what conditions

 

[PharmaTope]

I had a customer call the pharmacy today with a question I haven't heard before and wasn't sure how to answer. She said she was just given a job offer, and that she would have to take a drug test prior to starting. She said her doctor gave her a prescription for 30 tablets of Xanax a year or two ago, but she only very occasionally takes half a tablet and still has 25 tablets left. She asked me if there was a time limit that a prescription is valid for in the event that she had any in her system at the time of the drug test. I initially said as long as she had a valid script for it, it was fine. However, then I started to think that couldn't anyone who ever had a prescription for a particular controlled substance just say that their doctor wrote a script for it years ago and that they still had some left? Just trying to figure out if there is a time limit. I told her I'd let her know if I could find the answer. Anyone know? Thanks!

this is a tricky area of the law and i looked into this before.

the law says a script is ONLY valid for that time period when it is taken under the supervision of the physician.

i.e. if it says finish prescription in 10 days and they save it for the year, they do not have a "valid" rx for it. of course if their physician writes a letter saying it is ok, then so be it.

if it is xanax prn anxiety, the prescription is good until expired on the bottle aka 1 year time.

 

[Kansas Pharmer]

Well, yeah. Employer specific stuff is different, but she should know the terms of her employment contract (I hope). My dad (former truck driver) could have been fired if he was found with mouthwash containing any amount of alcohol in his truck. But that's not law.

I just don't think there is any provision in law that constrains someone from keeping expired meds or old meds or requires patients to dispose of controlled meds beyond the date of the original RX. And if you're allowed to possess them (under the law), I think you're permitted to use them. The only thing you can't do is transfer controlled subs to someone else. That is illegal.

Actually, it is law for DOT. You can possess meds all your life if you want. But, if you under influence of controlled meds and you do not have a current script for it, you will lose your job. And your employer has no say so. The government dictates this, not employer policies. Two occurences in a 5 year timeframe and you permanently lose your federal licenses.

But, I only post this as an example. I am sure other industries are nowhere as controlled.

 

[Farmercyst]

The expiration date on stock bottles is only valid in an unopened bottle in a controlled environment. It is meaningless (legally) once the seal is broken. That being said, the pills are likely w/in testing specs for a long time after that date and even after being dispensed and being kept in who knows what conditions

Yeah, the shelf-life extension program has shown that some meds can go 10-15 years beyond labeled expiration. But based on what I've read, they only sample sealed bottles in a controlled environment, so as you say no way to tell how long unsealed bottles would actually last. I didn't see anywhere in CA law that differentiates between labeling 1 yr vs labeling mfg expiration date. It seems you get the choice regardless of repackaging, unless I missed something.

 

[caligirly1]

I am in the process of taking the boards and have an interview that seems to be very promising for my first job as a pharmacist. In the first phone interview, she asked me if I would be willing to submit to a drug test. I said I would, because to be quite honest I've never done any illegal drugs in my life, even marijuana. However, I do have rheumatoid arthritis and take tramadol (2-3) every day with the occasional norco 5 mg (maybe 1 or 2 a week). I do have scripts for these, etc., and everything is very well controlled. However, do I let the employer know that I am on these drugs before taking the test? Is there any reason for me to worry about this? This is my first time taking a drug test for work after I started analgesic therapy and I am just trying to be cautious. Thanks for any info, I really would appreciate any feedback.