My center/hmo is drug testing me on the sly

[raina]

I've been lookin' thru my medical records and found the results of several drug tests that I never consented to, both before and after I fell ill with kidney failure. They take 'em while I'm hooked up to the machine and never mentioned anything to me about it, I just saw the results, always negative, in my records.  I don't smoke pot right before a treatment and the blood test only shows acute intoxication (you have to be stoned or very recently so to fail it) so I've always passed.  Anywhoo they have tested me for pot, opiates, cocaine and alcohol 4 times without ever saying a word to me.

As my kidneys were failing I had a lot of symptoms that could have been caused by drug use. Thing was, I wasn't using drugs, except occasional medical marijuana for what I thought were migraines but turned out to be toxin buildup.  Haven't had a "migraine" since I got on dialysis.

I went into the ER describing tingly extremities,  mild hallucinations, dizziness, general confusion, nausea and vomiting. They always asked if I had taken street drugs and I always replied that I had not.  Anywhoo they usually took a blood test and said everything checked out OK and sent me home.

Turns out all those blood tests were just drug tests. I have never done, so of course they never found, any meth, uppers, opiates.. nothin' but the Mary Jane.  If they would have tested anything other than for drugs they might have noticed my kidney woes and we might have even been able to save them, I think.

I wonder what exactly they were planning to do if they found drugs in my blood tests?  They can't force people into treatment or call the cops on someone for having drugs in their blood.  What, exactly, was their plan?  What is their plan now with all this testing?  It started well before my antibodies dropped to a level that made me able to start the transplant process.

I can understand them not wanting to give a kidney to someone who is, say, a coke head or doing heroin, but I still feel like this is an invasion of my privacy. And the tests before I got sick.. thats insane!  If I did drugs I wouldn't have been concerned by their effects..I'd try to stay home and enjoy them!






EDITED: Moved Thread to Proper Topic - Sluff, Moderator

[BigSky]

The only test I have ever had to give specific consent to was the HIV tests they do each year.  Your Hmo might play a large part in this also as it might be part of their rules you already agreed to. 

If there is no certain cause of kidney failure I imagine they would do such tests as part of routine to find out what is going on as most people will deny the use of illegal drugs even to their doctor.

As to such testing for a transplant its more than warranted.  Kidneys are of limited supply and if a patient lies about prior or present drug use this can give doubt that they will follow the protocol of transplants.


In the end why not just ask them why they tested you for such things?

[okarol]

I had never heard of this before. Is this a common practice - drug testing at dialysis clinics?

[Chicken Little]

Twice in the time I was on hemo they tried to take a random sample.  Both times I demanded they show me what had been ordered and both times they just stopped and told me they'd just wait until the next monthly panel.  It would not surprise me if people are being tested.   

After all the personal questions you have to answer for a transplant, it would seem to be par for the course.  There is no privacy.

[livecam]

I knew they were looking at all kinds of stuff all the time.  I really had nothing to hide so it didn't bother me at all.  If a unit was testing something on me without my consent that would be a major problem.  Just looking at whats in my blood already doesn't concern me much.

[st789]

WTF  #%$^$%^(&(&&&((&&(&%^$^$%.....we are not guinea pigs for them to test.

[jbeany]

I don't know if they have tested me or not.  I'm assuming they did at the transplant center, since they took enough blood there to satisfy a vampire with massive hunger pangs, but I have no idea if they have ever tested for it at dialysis.  We get the lab copies on the day they do the tests, and I've never seen anything like that on it, though.  The only non-prescription drug I do is caffine,though, mostly in the form of chocolate, so they aren't going to find much to look at besides too much phosphorous. 

[goofynina]

When i mentioned to my Social Worker that i maaaay have smoked a little bit of that fine herb   when i was desperate to ease some pains  and she said that there is a good chance that they would test me, even if i said i never did any drugs, each hospital is different though.  I am so far from ever getting a transplant, i should just party on huh? lol, Come on, dare me, i dare you to dare me, please dare me 

[glitter]

be carful what you say to the social worker- my husbands wrote down everything we said and when he was given his emergency paperwork for evacuation from a hurricane every thing (including mundane) we ever said to her she had typed out in his file on the computer, when we protested the clinic he was evacuating to did not need a conversational record- they said 'Its no big deal- we are all health professionals here'---but it was a big deal to us, an invasion of privacey -especially since he had refused her counseling services. The new social worker he very politely told that he did not need her services at this time, but if he did he would ask- and please do not write down every time I am civil to you or I won't be.

[rimbo74]

I dare you!   

Hopefully they do not test me.  I went on vacation and breathed in "second hand" smoke.  My transplant is in a month.  Better clean up my act!

[skyedogrocks]

I knew they were looking at all kinds of stuff all the time.  I really had nothing to hide so it didn't bother me at all.  If a unit was testing something on me without my consent that would be a major problem.  Just looking at whats in my blood already doesn't concern me much.

My husband feels the same way.  He has a great social worker and asked him to be part of a Vitamin B study and then get tested for it in 6 months.  His center just doesn't test something out on him without asking.

Speaking of testing, Rob's work does random drug & alcohol testing every 6 weeks.  Some people who have worked there for over 25 years have never been tested, yet Rob who has been there 2 1/2 years has been tested almost every time it comes up.  The best part is, everyone knows he doesn't drink or do drugs.  He doesn't mind going, it's a break in the day.  Within the past 4 months, his output has slowed, so he has a note from his Neph saying he is a dialysis patient and can't give a sample.  Normally they would have to contact his dialysis unit and have his blood tested.  However, the Director has opted not to go that extra route, he knows Rob very well now and trusts him.  It's just funny that he is always getting the call, even though it's supposed to be random 

[kitkatz]

Yep, I think random drug testing is not so random. Same thing happened to my squeaky clean hubby with the City's random drug testing.  A lot of people were missed a lot of times but not him. He would go and wait and drink coffee until he had the urge to go. Wasted plenty of hours there.