Why should I test my patients?
An estimated one in four Americans suffers from chronic pain and it is a primary reason that people seek medical care. Opioid medications are often prescribed for the therapeutic benefit but it is also recognized they are powerful drugs. As a healthcare provider you care about the safety of your patients and the use of some drugs in combination can be harmful. Medication monitoring can help you better understand what medications your patient is currently taking, which could interfere with newly prescribed medications. The results aid you to safely prescribe medication as part of your overall treatment plan.
I do not want to test every patient, what is the best way to implement a random testing program?
Rather than having to decide who might best benefit from testing, Clinicians may pick patients for testing at random intervals. Random testing ensures no patient is ever singled out and no patient is accidentally skipped over.
What if my patient refuses to be tested?
When patients understand how medication monitoring will help their chronic pain, they are less likely to resist.
How should I instruct my patients to prepare for testing?
Instruct patients to tell you about any other prescription or non-prescription drugs, vitamins, or supplements they are taking, or make them bring in everything for review. Some medications or health problems can cause inconsistent results. It is always better to understand possible interactions upfront than after delivering inconsistent results.
If I have questions about the appropriate tests to order, are there people qualified to assist me?
If you have questions on what are the appropriate tests to order for your patient, DRUGSCAN has a team of qualified people ready to help you including our extremely knowledgeable Customer Service team and expert toxicologists. DRUGSCAN prides itself as being a company committed to delivering a personal touch and a live voice on the phone to answer questions and provide support.
