Drug test in a mental health outpatient setting

dadums

Well-Known Member
My wife is Bi Polar and a couple years ago they told her because she was on Klonopin she would be subject to random urine screening. She chose to go through the withdraws after 18 years on it to avoid the test and lessen the long term affects. Today they wanted to test her again. She said there was no need and they HAD to make a note of her refusal. Of all the meds she has been through marijuana helps the most and not large amounts.
Just trying to understand our rights here in NY
Dadums
 
Well, unfortunately, drug-testing is common in such a situation. And there's actually a good reason for it. A person might be self-medicating with other pills (or, when it comes to things like bipolar and schizophrenia, a certain illicit powdery substance), and this could affect the medications that the person is being - or might be - prescribed. Alternatively, consider someone who is receiving meds at a discount because either their insurance or the taxpayers are buying them. Some of these people will get their prescriptions filled and then turn around and sell the meds instead of consuming them.

The above are general things, of course, and I am certainly NOT implying that your wife falls into either category.

IF your wife is refusing ALL prescription meds from her doctors, then they have no real reason to ask for a drug test.

The unfortunate thing isn't that people who receive medicines such as antipsychotics, opiates, et cetera are subject to drug-testing - it's that cannabis, when the markers indicating recent(+/-) use are present, is treated as an illicit substance. I know that it can affect the effects of certain medications, but so can a huge list of perfectly legal (everywhere) substances. It's not a bad thing, lol, it's just a thing. So is chocolate. Or caffeine from coffee, or nicotine from cigarettes (and these two can also affect one's meds, so...).

BtW, has your wife ever been prescribed Geodon? A friend of mine (schizophrenia, bipolar, and other issues) was on that for a while. And it helped... for a while. When it was helping, the only real side-effect seemed to be a tendency to sleep a lot more than normal.
 
Worst thing is she was on klonopin for 18 years and suddenly it was you gotta be tested, so she went through the withdraws to get off it.
That was HELL. THC helped with those.
When her PA said testing again I told her I didn't see a need. she is on depakote and has blood tested regularly that leaved cymbalta and busbar neither are controlled. They made a point of putting a note in her records that she refused.
Bottom line is we may need to give in and see what they say about fuzzies in the pee.
well see in 3 months
 
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