Using urine drug testing to support healthy boundaries in clinical care

Authors

  • Howard A. Heit, MD, FACP, FASAM
  • Douglas L. Gourlay, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FASAM

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jom.2015.0247

Keywords:

urine drug testing, risk management, patient-centered

Abstract

Risk management is first and foremost about protecting patients. This article will examine risk management in general, and urine drug testing (UDT) in particular, as core constituents in an effective, comprehensive risk management strategy. The article will explore UDT as a tool to help practitioners and patients make better choices in the clinical management of chronic pain. How one makes these difficult clinical decisions based on UDT results as well common barriers encountered in conducting patient-centered UDT will also be examined.

Author Biographies

Howard A. Heit, MD, FACP, FASAM

Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, Georgetown University, Arlington, Virginia; e-mail: howardheit@aol.com

Douglas L. Gourlay, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FASAM

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; e-mail: dgourlay@cogeco.ca.

References

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Gourlay D, Heit H, Caplan YH: Urine Drug Testing in Clinical Practice: The Art and Science of Patient Care. 5th ed. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 2012.

Heit HA, Gourlay DL: Urine drug testing in pain medicine. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2004; 27(3): 260-267.

Gourlay D, Heit HA: The art and science of urine drug testing. Clin J Pain. 2010; 26(4): 358.

Nafziger AN, Bertino JS Jr: Utility and application of urine drug testing in chronic pain management with opioids. Clin J Pain. 2009; 25(1): 73-79.

Federation of State Medical Boards: Model Policy on the Use of Opioid Analgesics in the Treatment of Chronic Pain. July 2013: 1-29. Available at http://www.pcsso.org/sites/default/files/FSMB%20Pain%20Policy%20(July%202013).pdf. Accessed October 27, 2014.

Gourlay DL, Heit HA: Universal precautions revisited: Managing the inherited pain patient. Pain Med. 2009; 10(Suppl 2): S115-S123.

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Gourlay D, Heit H: Universal precautions: A matter of mutual trust and responsibility. Pain Med. 2006; 7(2): 210-211; author reply 212.

Published

01/01/2015

How to Cite

Heit, MD, FACP, FASAM, H. A., and D. L. Gourlay, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FASAM. “Using Urine Drug Testing to Support Healthy Boundaries in Clinical Care”. Journal of Opioid Management, vol. 11, no. 1, Jan. 2015, doi:10.5055/jom.2015.0247.