hi guys..I have a prescription for vicodin tuss cough syrup. I use it sporadically for a night cough due to my allergies. I have a drug test coming up soon and I was wondering, are people screened for prescription drugs ? I read the other post about home drug tests and got to thinking...don't employers test for illegal drugs like pot and cocaine? Why would anyone be concerned about a legitimate prescritpion drug such as a common pain killer or anti anxiety drug such as xanax ..these drugs are prescribed daily by most doctors... just a thought??? any feedback would be great... thanks have a good night..kevbo

"Why would anyone be concerned about a legitimate prescritpion drug such as a common pain killer or anti anxiety drug such as xanax ..these drugs are prescribed daily by most doctors"


I don't mean to be rude, but for "feedback" on the above question you asked, just read the bb, the answers are literally everywhere. Good luck.
Leora

no..I meant why would someone have to worry about a prescription drug for a drug test..I thought the tests only check illegal substances? When you walk into lets say a home depot...the sign on the window says, "we test for drugs, if you do illegal drugs do not apply here." thanks kevbo

if you are worried about a possible employer denying you employment because you are taking a legitimate Rxed med like your cough syrup,don't be.as long as you disclose this before the test that this is something Rxed by your doc for your allergies that you have to take from time to time,it wont be a problem(although you may be asked to bring it in so they can actually see that it is being legally Rxed for you).it is when Rxed meds that you do not have an actual Rx for show up,that they will have problems because if it is there without a valid Rxed reason,it would not be considered legal to have in your system.depending on the test,some are very specific and some are not.it all depends on just what type of testing the co actually uses(the more detailed and specific a test is,the more it costs them to use it).Does that explain what you needed to know?Marcia

yes..the syrup will show up positivr for opiate use.....drugs are only legal if prescribed and used properly....when we wrote a drug testing program at a country club i used to work at,we picked the drugs which we wanted to test applicants for.....yes,we checked for cocaine,rember that heroin is a opiate...so is hydrocodone...and oxycodone...there are people out there that abuse cough syrup cause they are addicted to hydocodone and will possibly be a theft potential....we checked for methephetamine...thats made from over the counter products to get the phsyuedo from.....people abuse diazapam/alazopram...valium and xanax.....if youve got a prescription,fine...but lots of folks buy em off the streets...i did......i helped write the program...chef

dear kevbo: I applied for U.S. employment as a part time mail clerk/handler. I passed everything with flying colors but when it came to the drug test there were problems. I was taking vicodin for mild back pain and butalbital/caffeine for migraine headaches. The test came out positive and I had to have my doctor send a documented detailed account of the medication I was taking. Needless to say, after months of faxing back and forth, and calling the postal nurse, I didnt get the job. So, yes, I believe prescription meds do have a great effect on employment...I now find myself doing extra background work in the movie industry, which I find enjoyable. .....rontiss1

I was tested for employment while being on methadone (in a program at a clinic), and I was also taking a benzo with a prescription from my dr. Both were picked up in the drug test, but it was resolved easily since it was all legit. I rec'd a call from a physician in another state who had the lab work from my test and he asked about the drugs. I told him how much, how long, etc., and then I had to fax him the script for the benzo (I had my dr's office do it, but the dr. who called me said it would be fine to just have the pharmacy send a copy of it). Then I had to sign a release at the methadone clinic that it was ok for them to disclose to this dr. my treatment plan. It only took a couple of phone calls and once they had the proof, I had the job.

I didn't disclose anything to the lab beforehand when I went in for the urine test, and the reason was that I didn't have any documentation with me about the methadone. Regular pharmacy scripts are easy enough to show them, but things like methadone and suboxone are handled differently, and not every employment drug test looks for maintenance drugs such as those either, so I didn't know what to expect.

As long as you have a valid script, I don't think you will have a problem.

Good luck,
DallasAlice

Just to chime in -

It all depends on what drug tests your prospective employer orders. They have a three panel test, which test for marijuana, cocaine, and something else, and 5 panel test, and then even more extensive ones. Look it up on the internet, it is all out there. Legitimate prescribed medication is no problem, you can document it all if need be, I never even was asked to document mine.

Walkersma

I guess my other questions are: I have a prescription for robitussin AC which has codeine...and I take a norco on occasion..they belong to my husband and I take them for my back...maybe 1-2 a week....so my two questions are how long does the hydro stay in my system and how long after I take one can it be detected on a drug test and question 2....will the hydro even show up on the drug test....it seems like the research I did on drug tests do test for opiates..but they only detect herion, codeine and one other drug..I forget...and like I said..I have the script for the codeine...thanks guys..any info would be great..have a good night.....

hydro WILL show up on a drug test.it all depends on what exact test they choose to give you,and they can vary widely.the ones i get at my pain clinic are very very detailed in nature and have every specific most used pain med and illegal ones too.it even says whether it is a high or low amount in my system.

if you have back problems that require the use of norco,you really need to see your doc about it.taking any one elses meds is not a good idea and is also illegal.i don't mean to sound harsh but this is not the place to ask for how to beat a drug test,really.If you have a legal Rx for something that will show up on an employment screening it really shouldn't be any real sort of problem.if something that shows up does not have an Rx specificly for you on file somewhere,that can come back and bite you in the butt.it would be much better for you to just stop taking the norco and see you doc about the back issues.good luck,Marcia