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Drug Testing on Prescriptions
JohnnyCache
Starting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered User regular
Starting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered User regular
Have a buddy that is on a prescription that creates a false positive for THC on a drug test and needs to take a pre-employment one.
There's an awful lot of useless urban legendary online about how to approach this that complicates a googlin'
1. He does have the prescription
2. It is a known side effect
3. He sets off a home kit from a drug store
4. He is clean of "actual" thc
He's thinking about trying to cheat on the test which I am trying to talk him out of and get him to use whatever legit channel exists. Because a sane, legitimate way to explain this must exist, right?
Don't want any advice on how to cheat/dilute whatever, could go to a pro drug site for that, I am just hoping someone knows more about the legit process for this.
There's an awful lot of useless urban legendary online about how to approach this that complicates a googlin'
1. He does have the prescription
2. It is a known side effect
3. He sets off a home kit from a drug store
4. He is clean of "actual" thc
He's thinking about trying to cheat on the test which I am trying to talk him out of and get him to use whatever legit channel exists. Because a sane, legitimate way to explain this must exist, right?
Don't want any advice on how to cheat/dilute whatever, could go to a pro drug site for that, I am just hoping someone knows more about the legit process for this.
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If he's getting a good job and they really want him, the drug test is mostly a formality. As long as he explains the situation to the hiring manager and can back it up by showing them a prescription, they may be able to accommodate him. It's possible that they will use a different or higher quality test that can discern between THC and whatever your friend is on.
If he's trying to get a job someplace like Walmart, or it's a job with people lined up around the block, there is a chance that even if he explains himself they will just pass him over and hire someone else. They aren't going to deal with the hassle or take a risk - they are just going to go by the book and if he fails the test not hire him.
I'd encourage him NOT to cheat on the test. I don't know what type of job it is, but if he raises this concern in the hiring process and it's addressed, it makes it a lot less of a problem if he's given a random / non-random test after hiring that tests positive for THC. He may also want to consider changing medication or stop taking medication until after his test (with advice of his doctor, etc) until after the test. That of course depends on the situation.
My current job didn't test me, but I believe the test for job I had before had me fill out a questionnaire that asked if I was taking any prescription medication. I find it hard to believe that this isn't something that comes up regularly (esp. considering prescription pain killers and opiate testing) and there has to be a process for addressing it.
I host a podcast about movies.
The testing is usually done by an independent third party, separate from the employer.
If he's concerned about raising the issue with the company, when he gets the information on where / when he goes to take his drug test, call the company anonymously. Ask them about the situation and how they handle it.
If he's still concerned about issues, that would probably be the time when he decides which course of action to take - contact the hiring company, taking the test and crossing his fingers, or other options.
He should just remember that there is a possibility he won't get the job if he raises the issue ahead of time. There is a certainty he won't get the job if he's caught cheating. Cheating may not seem particularly hard, but people get caught doing it all the time. Granted, people get away with it all the time too.
Is he willing to gamble on never again getting a job with this company? Cause, if he gets caught cheating, any future application is probably going to go straight into the trash.
And if it's the deep exam, they're probably going to be doing a hair radioimmunoassay instead (since it measures over a period of time.) Went through one of those once - after I got my hair buzzed off at PAX 08.
Ever had someone in a lab coat clip your chest hair?
Never for a drug test though.
I will start by saying "Get a note from your Doctor saying this is a potential side effect." This is much stronger than a print out from a website. Employers are more likely to believe a doctor. Your friend may have 1000 reasons he can't do this. This is bull.
Don't ever try to fake it. This shows poor character and at the very least a level of being immature. "Rather than talk like an adult to resolve and issue I'll just scam." I wouldn't want to hire that person.
I am not sure how one drug test from a drug store compares to one done in a lab. Its possible the lab one may not throw a false positive.
I will end with "Get a note from your Doctor saying this is a potential side effect."
A pharmacist* can often provide that information.
* - And I mean a real pharmacist; at most stores the only credentialed pharmacists are shift managers and everybody else is a pharmacy technician.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
1) Bring in your prescription
and
2) Bring in a note from a doctor (or other qualified medical professional) stating that false positives are a possible side effect
They might not hire you anyway, but thems the breaks.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I host a podcast about movies.
end of discussion
I host a podcast about movies.
in florida they ask you up front for the prescriptions
this is not a mystery. the places that do these tests know that there are prescription drugs that can mess with test results.
I host a podcast about movies.
i dont understand the problem
you think cheating the test is a viable alternative to betting that a nurse practitioner doesn't know what to do with a prescription?
how do you even know the actual chemical tests are conducted in that building? maybe it's just a collection station and the samples are taken to a laboratory
I host a podcast about movies.
I believe you! I really just meant that in the general 'you' because it's less awkward to type than 'your friend.'
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Just to point out a factual matter, the laws determining who can run and who can interpret a drug test differ from state to state.
If you live in Florida (as your profile says), you live in one of the few states that requires that employment drug test results be interpreted by a medical professional prior to adverse action against the employee.
This is not true in most states. In most states, anyone may administer and interpret an off-the-shelf drug test. It is often done by an interviewer or HR person and never ever shipped off to a lab or seen by a medical professional.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
This is probably getting too far into a legal issue here, but doesn't that open them up to tremendous liability for lawsuits? You can't discriminate against someone based on disabilities, and depending on the prescription I'd think they would get into significant trouble.
For this reason they pretty much have to have some mechanism for "I am legally taking x which reads as illegal y" exceptions. If they're smart they make it so the hiring manager never hears about the problem with the test. Even if they did fail to hire you based on it they would have to be brain dead to say that's the reason why they didn't hire you.
The mouth swab is at least somewhat forgivable in that it only measures for a relatively short period of time, IE 'did you come to the interview high' as opposed to 'did you get high over the weekend'. That of course does not address the issues of it being performed by an HR person or being performed as part of a hiring process period.
OP, why not call the drug testing place beforehand and ask the procedure for this sort of thing? Your friend wouldn't even need to identify himself, since they likely offer services to individuals and companies and it could be phrased as an inquiry of that nature.