Clinigen Drug abuse urine specimen drug screen patients screening

Will I have support interpreting test results?

Why should Clinigen Urine Drug Screening be a part of my substance abuse treatment program?

Guide

How often should I perform urine drug screens?

Screening frequency is at your discretion. However, most drugs of abuse leave a patient's body within two to four days after use. Therefore, if you wish to maximize Clinigen's ability to detect recent use, you should perform two to three screens per week. This testing regimen also helps you to document a patient's recovery progress more accurately.

In the event that a comprehensive testing regimen is not possible, the credible threat of truly randomized testing becomes an invaluable tool. When urine screens are truly random - meaning urine specimens can be taken and screened on any given day - patients are subject to everyday accountability for their actions. In the absence of a regular screening program, it is imperative that screening days be truly random, thereby eliminating any potential "gaming" of a predictable screening schedule.

Many programs perform follow-up tests on all positive results. They take and screen urine specimens every other day during the week following a positive result, not only so that the patient will remain accountable after an incident of use, but in order to monitor how quickly the drugs leave the patient's body.

If you have any questions regarding the design of a urine drug screening program, please call us at 781-937-8888.

What is included in a Clinigen Urine Drug Screening supply box?

Specimen Cups
Please have patients fill specimen cups halfway full or more, and please make sure that the cap is screwed on securely.

Requisition Forms
We use information collected on these requisition forms to identify each patient and each specimen for reporting and billing purposes. The required fields are:
Name (Last, First)
Date Collected
DOB (Date of Birth)
Gender
SSN (Social Security Number)
Drug Test Request*
Physician Signature

If a patient is covered by private insurance, please provide that carrier's name and and the patient's coverage number.

*Please note: By law, we cannot process the specimen unless the drug testing panel selection has been marked. Please place a check mark in the appropriate box on the requisition form.

Labels
Please write the name of the specimen donor on the label and affix it to the SIDE of the cup. This is required by law to ensure proper identification of the specimen in the event that the specimen is separated from its requisition form and cap.

Bags
The specimen cup should be sealed in the resealable main pouch. Please fold the requisition form in quarters, and place it in the back pocket, separated from the specimen cup..

Security Seals
Place these seals over the top of the bottle or over the mouth of the bag to provide a tamper-proof seal for the specimens.

Each box of supplies will contain enough bags, specimen cups, labels, security seals, and requisition forms for 250 specimen collections. Call 781-937-8888 for more supplies.

Should I be collecting specimens under direct or indirect supervision?

In a direct observation collection, the collector directly witnesses the patient voiding into the specimen cup. In an indirect observation collection, the collector is present during the collection but does not directly observe the void. While the integrity of specimens is greatest when collected under direct supervision, we understand that this is not always possible. Though we recommend indirect supervision as a minimum standard to ensure specimen integrity, we perform a battery of tests on each specimen to detect any potential adulteration or tampering. We do, however, recommend performing direct supervision collections for patients who consistently deliver specimens that fail adulteration tests.

How can I prevent adulteration or tampering with specimens?

The easiest way for a donor to "tamper" with a urine drug screen result is to be unavailable for testing. Being unavailable for testing should be considered a red flag, and many programs consider unavailability to be equivalent to testing positive for drug use.

The second easiest means of tampering with a urine drug screen is to dilute urine internally by consuming large quantities of water. If a patient is using the restroom with abnormal frequency prior to his/her urine drug screen, there is a chance that the patient is attempting an "internal" dilution. Dilution can also be achieved externally by adding another liquid such as water from a sink or toilet. Patients may also add chemicals to their urine to affect the chemical properties of the specimen.

You should be aware of the specimen's temperature. Urine specimens should be body temperature, which will be warm to the touch immediately after voiding. If the specimen is not warm, it may have been diluted with another liquid. Please refer to "What does it mean when a sample is flagged as 'invalid' or 'adulterated?'" for information about the additional tools we have at our disposal to determine whether a specimen has been adulterated.

How long can I keep these specimens in storage?

While urine specimens are fairly stable, remaining fresh for five to seven days at room temperature and up to two weeks refrigerated, timely results are often more useful results. Please call us immediately after collection to ensure a prompt pick-up, and keep the specimens in a secure and refrigerated location in the meantime. Because we believe that the integrity of specimens is greatest when the specimens are refrigerated, we will provide small refrigeration units free of charge, upon request.

How soon can I arrange a specimen pick-up?

Please call in your pick-up requests to 781-937-8888 before 10 am for a same-day pick-up. Non-emergency pick-up requests placed after 10am will be filled the next day. In the event of an emergency, please call 781-937-8888 to request an urgent pick-up. Regular weekly pick-ups can also be scheduled upon request.

How and when will test results be reported?

Hard Copies - All Clinigen Urine Drug Screen reports are mailed in hard copy format to the appropriate recipient on record within 24 hours of specimen receipt.

Faxed and Phoned Results - Positive results can either be faxed or telephoned into a secure line. Please let us know how you how you would like to be notified of positive results.