Which schools drug test? How good is the privacy?

[AddisonsDx]

Which MD schools drug test? I know that UNECOM does (they are a DO school), but I don't know of any specific MD schools that do. I take legitimate prescription amphetamine, will the school keep this information private? Do different schools have different levels of privacy?

This is a throwaway account because I am going to share very private information about myself.

I have Addison's disease and I take Adderall (amphetamine). It's a nice front-rhyme. I also take hormone supplements which obviously won't show up on their drug test, but allow me to not die. You might say "Addison's disease should not be treated with stimulants" to which I say "mind your own damn business". But since I apparently need to justify myself to everyone, I feel very tired all the time. More glucocorticoid does restore my energy, but my endocrinologist feels that I would get cataracts and avascular necrosis if I increased my glucocorticoid dose further, and amphetamine is safer and directly addresses the symptom of fatigue.

I generally try to hide my illness. Even if I need to tell someone that I have Addison's, I generally try to hide my amphetamine prescription. I mean, it is speed, and there is a massive stigma.

So, how is the privacy? These are doctors and they understand confidentiality, right? Will they give me crap because this is an off-label use?

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[Turambar]

The lab which produces any results from your sample is bound by HIPAA and, to the best of my knowledge, so is anybody who receives them for use in any professional capacity. Ideally, the school will take your privacy very seriously as people who deal with health information risk a lot when they don't handle it with the utmost care. Nobody who isn't directly involved in your treatment should receive that information without your consent, barring a major screwup.

 

[ChrisMack390]

A prescription is a prescription. If you have your documentation, you are good to go.

 

[Kthehornplayer]

When you get drug tested there is a spot to specify prescriptions. This will be kept confidential. Additionally, if you test positive, you should receive a call and you can mention your prescription if they overlooked it somehow. You should be totally fine as long as you have a prescription on hand.

 

[Turambar]

On another note, I secretly hope each time I enter a healthcare facility that my privacy is treated with horrible negligence and breached in the most egregious manner possible, because when HIPAA disclosure settlements can reach into the hundreds of thousands, I don't really care who knows about my chlamydia.

 

[anonymoose1640]

I can't speak for med schools, but I had to receive a waiver for NCAA drug tests because of medication I'm on. They required a valid prescription and a letter from the prescribing physician detailing why the medication was prescribed and why they felt I could not be taken off of it. When I was tested by the NCAA at national level competitions, I had to mention this and check a box on my drug test. The results came back positive for the banned substance but it was "waived" due to a valid prescription and paperwork.

I imagine the process is very similar for medical schools. I don't think it's something you should be stressed or concerned about. Like everyone said, everyone involved in the process has to protect your privacy.

Hope that helped, good luck!!

 

[<L>]

A prescription is a prescription. If you have your documentation, you are good to go.

Yup. If if was "medical marijuana" we'd be talking about a whole different gray area, but otherwise there's no reason to have problems with this.