Often the most important part of drug testing is deciding what type of drug test to conduct. You must ask yourself, “What ‘question’ am I asking this donor?” The question may be “Are you impaired?” or “Do you have a habit of drug use?” By thinking in terms of the question you need to answer, you can select the appropriate testing method for the situation.
The subject of this month’s Name that Drug is a curious, strange substance to be sure. This drug entered the American pharmaceutical market in 1958 and had been in various stages of chemical adjustment since the mid-50’s. The chemistry blueprint for this drug was remarkably similar to the molecular format established for morphine. In fact, morphologically speaking, this month’s drug has a name that has obvious connections to morphine itself; however, this drug is NOT a narcotic. The drug is currently sold in compounds that are available in prescription and in over-the-counter formulas. Until a few years ago, the drug had toiled along as a medicinal workhorse in the treatment of tens of millions of needy patients, an overlooked and overworked drug that few people appreciated.
Questions like this are routinely directed to the DAR Hotline staff. Frustrated callers scratch their heads in puzzlement, people caught in the act of smoking a joint nonetheless test clean on a THC urine diagnostic screening device that’s run a short time later. The answer to the question is relatively simple. Be patient.
In February 2009, MEDTOX did a brief report regarding the investigation undertaken by an FDA advisory committee that voted for the withdrawal of Darvon products from the American drug market. Darvon and several sibling preparations contain the synthetic narcotic propoxyphene. First developed by drug maker Eli Lilly in the mid 50’s, the drug has been prescribed to millions of Americans to treat mild to moderate pain.
Indeed there are. For decades now, marijuana advocacy groups have promulgated the idea that marijuana use is innocuous, a benign vice that is nothing more than a little homeopathic trip to inner relaxation and peace. Marijuana advocates push a syllogism that goes something like this: Alcohol is a widely used legal drug that is the root cause of thousands of fatal automobile collisions every year. Marijuana a sedative like alcohol is involved in far-fewer numbers of fatal traffic collisions. Therefore, marijuana is a safer drug than alcohol and it should be legalized.