Toxicology in Pain Management

Abstract

Toxicology testing in pain management has become the standard of care. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention published guidelines including urine drug testing prior to initiating opioid therapy and for monitoring prescription and illicit drugs. Physicians must know indications for toxicology testing, and the frequency based upon risk stratification. This includes personal and family history of alcohol or substance related disorders, mental illness and smoking. Knowledge of opioid metabolism and various matrices to test are described. Additional knowledge of presumptive vs definitive testing along with algorithms and medical necessity with evidence-based clinical standards are discussed.

Keywords: Drug testing; Pain management; Pain medicine; Toxicology.