Comments on: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:56:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: copewithlaughterhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html#comment-61941 copewithlaughter Fri, 14 Apr 2006 15:35:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/03/20175.html#comment-61941 False positives DO occur...my family is living through the experience. My physician husband has a short lived history of substance abuse (6 weeks during an acute major depression)over 2 years ago. He is randomly tested (full toxicology) twice weekly. He was the first to be subjected to the random monitoring by the provincial medical board and the punishment was very harsh - it included suspensions of over two years while they figured out how to handle it.) He has not abused anything since Jan 04. However we have had our 4th false positive. The first was for cocaine (a drug he's never been anywhere near) - likely due to an antibiotic. A negative hair test cleared him. This month we have three false positives for cannabis - likely due to high dose anti-inflammatories. Only problem is, we can't find credible information on the interference of ibuprofen in the gc/ms process. He was taking very high doses of ibuprofen, then toradol for a massive dental infection and continues to take the stuff due to osteomyelitis of the mandible. He had a hair test done this week (results pending). Local "experts" say hair testing is not as good for cannabis. End of the story, he'll likely be forced to surrender his license to practice medicine on Apr 26th because we can't prove he didn't do it. False positives DO occur…my family is living through the experience. My physician husband has a short lived history of substance abuse (6 weeks during an acute major depression)over 2 years ago. He is randomly tested (full toxicology) twice weekly. He was the first to be subjected to the random monitoring by the provincial medical board and the punishment was very harsh – it included suspensions of over two years while they figured out how to handle it.) He has not abused anything since Jan 04. However we have had our 4th false positive. The first was for cocaine (a drug he’s never been anywhere near) – likely due to an antibiotic. A negative hair test cleared him. This month we have three false positives for cannabis – likely due to high dose anti-inflammatories. Only problem is, we can’t find credible information on the interference of ibuprofen in the gc/ms process. He was taking very high doses of ibuprofen, then toradol for a massive dental infection and continues to take the stuff due to osteomyelitis of the mandible. He had a hair test done this week (results pending). Local “experts” say hair testing is not as good for cannabis. End of the story, he’ll likely be forced to surrender his license to practice medicine on Apr 26th because we can’t prove he didn’t do it.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html#comment-60254 Anonymous Fri, 10 Mar 2006 22:07:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/03/20175.html#comment-60254 Some places choose not to random drug test because they fear losing some of their best employees. Sad but true. Some places choose not to random drug test because they fear losing some of their best employees. Sad but true.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html#comment-60253 Anonymous Fri, 10 Mar 2006 21:56:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/03/20175.html#comment-60253 <i>There is hardly any place that doesn't do random drug testing on their employees.</i><br/><i>It would be interesting to know what other professions/occupations are routinely randomly drug tested. </i><br/>As far as I know from personal experience, private technology companies don't randomly test employees, but they do it one time as part of hiring process. Except for high risk areas the cost of testing a few thousand people routinely will be higher than the amount of money it'll save the company, so why would they bother? Even if the test itself is cheap, multiply the price by thousands and add all of the bureaucracy a big company would require... They can easily fire anybody for bad performance. Where I work they rank people based on performance and two consequitive years in bottom 5% is an almost guaranteed dismissal. <br/><br/>I'd imagine places that consider random testing are those when mistakes can truly bad consequences. Who cares if a software developer is stoned, everyone expects software to have bugs (ok maybe except for some critical software that flies airplanes, but it is probably tested very thoroughly)... There is hardly any place that doesn’t do random drug testing on their employees.
It would be interesting to know what other professions/occupations are routinely randomly drug tested.
As far as I know from personal experience, private technology companies don’t randomly test employees, but they do it one time as part of hiring process. Except for high risk areas the cost of testing a few thousand people routinely will be higher than the amount of money it’ll save the company, so why would they bother? Even if the test itself is cheap, multiply the price by thousands and add all of the bureaucracy a big company would require… They can easily fire anybody for bad performance. Where I work they rank people based on performance and two consequitive years in bottom 5% is an almost guaranteed dismissal.

I’d imagine places that consider random testing are those when mistakes can truly bad consequences. Who cares if a software developer is stoned, everyone expects software to have bugs (ok maybe except for some critical software that flies airplanes, but it is probably tested very thoroughly)…

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html#comment-60244 Anonymous Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:51:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/03/20175.html#comment-60244 "Also, they have easy access to all sorts of things that the normal person doesn't have"<br/><br/>That is a misconception by the public. With the exception of anesthesia, docs do not have general access to narcotics. Ask any pharmacy. Now I suppose we can write scripts and get kickbacks but that is a whole other issue and leaves a "paper" trail (which hangs the doc that does it). “Also, they have easy access to all sorts of things that the normal person doesn’t have”

That is a misconception by the public. With the exception of anesthesia, docs do not have general access to narcotics. Ask any pharmacy. Now I suppose we can write scripts and get kickbacks but that is a whole other issue and leaves a “paper” trail (which hangs the doc that does it).

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html#comment-60219 Anonymous Thu, 09 Mar 2006 18:05:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/03/20175.html#comment-60219 Actually, I'm another doctor who has been accused as being the blogger who hates everybody. I haven't posted on this stream yet. So you know there's at least two of us. I just want to know how the other guy gets free parking everywhere. I get tons of tickets. Actually, I’m another doctor who has been accused as being the blogger who hates everybody. I haven’t posted on this stream yet. So you know there’s at least two of us. I just want to know how the other guy gets free parking everywhere. I get tons of tickets.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html#comment-60201 Anonymous Thu, 09 Mar 2006 09:20:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/03/20175.html#comment-60201 Don't pay any attention to this guy, he is just trying to get you mad and cause an upset. just ignore him and maybe he will go away!<br/> <br/>Randy Don’t pay any attention to this guy, he is just trying to get you mad and cause an upset. just ignore him and maybe he will go away!

Randy

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html#comment-60200 Anonymous Thu, 09 Mar 2006 06:40:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/03/20175.html#comment-60200 I did hate my job until I put myself in your place...an old fart sitting at home writing a blog about my arthritis...now I feel alot better about myself! Thanks! I did hate my job until I put myself in your place…an old fart sitting at home writing a blog about my arthritis…now I feel alot better about myself! Thanks!

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html#comment-60196 Anonymous Thu, 09 Mar 2006 05:42:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/03/20175.html#comment-60196 I don't believe she's nuts I also don't believe your any doctor. She's right we do know that your the guy who calls everybody names and that your the one who hates his job. I don’t believe she’s nuts I also don’t believe your any doctor. She’s right we do know that your the guy who calls everybody names and that your the one who hates his job.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html#comment-60193 Anonymous Thu, 09 Mar 2006 05:29:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/03/20175.html#comment-60193 you really are nuts... you really are nuts…

]]> By: Cathyhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/03/doctor-wants-to-random-drug-screen.html#comment-60192 Cathy Thu, 09 Mar 2006 04:58:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/03/20175.html#comment-60192 Anon 10:15,<br/><br/>Oh for goodness sake....My Drs. know I have a website, one even provids me information and various sites to visit...If they can find my site then they can find other comments as well. <br/><br/><br/>There are some on here that try to convince us that you are probably really 10 different people. But to those who view this site alot and read all your comments we recognize your tone. I know that you are one of a kind. There really is noone, and I mean noone, who is like you..You are the ultimate unique Physician of all time. The same as many of you recognize your Attorney friend when he forgets to sign his post, you are likewise obvious.<br/><br/>You really want to hear about how I saved lives? Heres one example..When I was in my 30s and 40s I worked at a manufacturing company(moonlighting)around very high voltage electricity every night. I was part of the "First Responder's Team." Initally, we were just called "emergency aids" but later we became first responders..Yes, we actually went to school and were trained to do this...<br/><br/>One night we had an emergency, involving that high voltage electricity and a male employee. When I arrived at the site, a caring coworker was just getting ready to grab ahold of her friend and try to pull him to safety...My first priority was this woman. She had to be knocked to safety! We all know what would have happened to her if she had been successful in her recovery attempts..She knew it also, but emotions were ruling her at that moment, not knowledge..<br/><br/><br/>There are other stories but I wont share them with you.. Why do you have such mean negative feelings for people? Most important, why are you in a profession that requires helping people? Do you not get any satisfaction from your work at all? Is it all bad? Anon 10:15,

Oh for goodness sake….My Drs. know I have a website, one even provids me information and various sites to visit…If they can find my site then they can find other comments as well.

There are some on here that try to convince us that you are probably really 10 different people. But to those who view this site alot and read all your comments we recognize your tone. I know that you are one of a kind. There really is noone, and I mean noone, who is like you..You are the ultimate unique Physician of all time. The same as many of you recognize your Attorney friend when he forgets to sign his post, you are likewise obvious.

You really want to hear about how I saved lives? Heres one example..When I was in my 30s and 40s I worked at a manufacturing company(moonlighting)around very high voltage electricity every night. I was part of the “First Responder’s Team.” Initally, we were just called “emergency aids” but later we became first responders..Yes, we actually went to school and were trained to do this…

One night we had an emergency, involving that high voltage electricity and a male employee. When I arrived at the site, a caring coworker was just getting ready to grab ahold of her friend and try to pull him to safety…My first priority was this woman. She had to be knocked to safety! We all know what would have happened to her if she had been successful in her recovery attempts..She knew it also, but emotions were ruling her at that moment, not knowledge..

There are other stories but I wont share them with you.. Why do you have such mean negative feelings for people? Most important, why are you in a profession that requires helping people? Do you not get any satisfaction from your work at all? Is it all bad?

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