Question:
I have been informed that VHA uses the Federal chain of custody form for work place urine drug testing. Then I’m told VHA doesn’t have to use the same method of tracking for veterans. Isn’t the health of veterans important enough to ensure the samples are theirs? The reason I ask, is that I recently received lab results that definitely are not mine.
Jim's Reply:
I hate to say it but yours is the 3rd communication I've received this week about someone who failed a drug test and that the test just had to be wrong. One fellow told me that he had sex with a partner who was high on cocaine and that's why he tested positive. Yes, well.
Allow me to be straight up with you...indulge me. I'm 73 years old and I'm a product of the 1970's. You may have heard of the sex, drugs and rock ' roll era? There isn't much in the way of substance abuse that I haven't either experienced first hand or seen up close and personal. I've suffered some small consequences but lucky for me, I was smart enough to walk away before I had any issues...like failing drug tests. Although I do still 'fail' VA drug tests because I use THC with my VA prescribed ibuprofen for pain control. I don't drink alcohol and I don't use tobacco so when my drug screen returns as "THC HIGH" my doctor and I have a good laugh and move on.
You're comparing apples and oranges in your attempt to disguise the possibility you've been busted. If you know enough about chain of custody and drug screens in the workplace you should know that has zero connection to the clinical laboratory standards that apply to each and every clinical lab specimen...not just your drug screen. Health care regs are a lot different than OSHA stuff...there are differences between employees and patients.
If you'd like to play that game I'll refer you to the CLIA regs here. You figure it out.
The chances that your specimen was mixed with another and you got someone else's results are a really really long shot, one in millions. Out of all the messages like yours that I've received over the years nobody has ever been able to prove a mistake was made. Your urine specimen was treated exactly the same way that blood samples drawn from cancer patients and pre-operative patients were treated that day.
Yes, mistakes have happened. Lab specimens have been mixed up and patients have suffered. But that's a really rare occurrence and I have my doubts it happened to you. That you wrote to me rather than immediately going to see your doctor to get another timely drug screen is telling. You could even ask for hair screening if you want to prove your claim.
The good news is that there is no downside to popping positive for a VA drug screen Your doctor may not prescribe any more pain meds to you but otherwise there is no punishment or penalty, no loss of benefits or anything else. VA treats substance use issues as a health problem, not a criminal issue and I like that.
If you have a substance issue, get some help...this may have been a warning shot. If you don't have a substance issue and you're absolutely sure this was an error, the person who ordered the lab work is where you stop next.
Good luck.