Just a quick question is anyone has encountered this. I went for a job interview and for that place they require a blood test to get hired. I am currently on vicoden and prednisone for imflammitory arthritis( yes I am waiting for a DX too!) I was off methotrexate for surgery( not related) and my next Rhumey appointment is Monday at which time we will proceed. I have the pill bottles do I just take them with me.....Please let me know Thanks Chris Most employment drug testing is looking at the levels of substances in your system. You don't have to worry about cannabis if you do not smoke it or take it into your body in any other way. What they look at is the prescence of narcotics (addiction to prescription drugs is illegal and also very frowned upon in the work place) and what level that is at, benzodiazepines and their level, cocaine breaks down into something I can't remember and what level that is at, heroin, alcohol, meth, and I think a couple of other things. The lab knows what are acceptable levels and what are not for prescription narcotics.
What an HR dept. will normally suggest is to have a statement by your doctor to bring with you on the day of your pre-employment drug testing. IF they do a hair follicle test (which my husbands company now does), the levels of whatever you have taken can be traced back for 6 months. So you do not have that 72 hour window to clean out your system and have a negative drug test (not that you do illegal drugs). Marijuana is a 30 day clean out period. That THC likes to stick around on your fatty cells.
So don't worry about pre-employment drug testing unless of course you need to lol. JUST A JOKE!!!
Liz, what if you are taking Morphine? Will it show up in your system the same as Heroin would? (if that is the drug im thinkin of that is in the same "family" as morphine)OK....I found the word my brain was looking for before lol. Heroin and coke break down into OPIATES. Sigh. Someone sound the fog horn...brain fog thick today. Morphine is a synthetic opiate. Man made. So I would imagine that it breaks down in the body just about the same. Methadone is man made also. BUT I wouldn't worry about anything as long as you have the prescription for any of these drugs and the letter from your physician to bring with you. The levels are what they look at to indicate if there is any abuse going on or not of your prescription meds.
Its all very confusing what they do and how they do it and how they look at stuff. I have passed pre-emploment drug screening while being on vicodin. But I had my letter from my doc stating that he prescribed it and what the dosage is.
As a former upper management person, you should have an official letter from the doctor with a number that can be called back, and notify them as soon as you go in that you have a letter about the medications you are on, try to make sure that you haven't taken anything like nyquil the night before because it turns up like alcohol and skews the reading.