Question About Atripla & False Poz Urine Drug Screen

[RobbyR]

Hi everyone, I have a question which has probably been asked but would like some fresh perspective & hopefully encouragement. I recently aced an interview, and was offered a job, depending on the background check & drug test results. No biggie, except I am on Atripla for my HIV, and of course many know it can cause a false positive sometimes for THC which is in marijuana (which I do NOT use).

I went in for my pre-employment drug screen yesterday, and they gave me a urine test. I already had a note from my doctor which stated I am on a medication which can sometimes cause a false positive for THC, without stating what the medication is or why I am taking it of course, to protect my privacy. I tried to give it to the lady who gave the test, but she said it was now their policy not to accept notes from doctors up front due to newer privacy regulations. It was just a pre-employment drug screening, so I was not given the chance to list medications I am taking at that point.

So I asked her what do I do in the (hopefully unlikely) event of a false positive result. She said someone will call me if something comes up, and then I would have the chance to tell them of any meds I am taking or get doctor verification. I just hope they don't send it to my potential employer first before giving me the chance to provide documentation of what I am taking, since they did not allow me to when I gave my urine sample. But she assured me that IF something comes up in the test, I'll have the chance to provide documentation of doctor's notes regarding medications I take.

I did call the out of state headquarters of the lab anonymously, and asked their policies about prescription meds and results, and they said they don't send results to the testee, but only to the employer, and that I would have to contact the employer. Well, obviously I wouldn't want to do that because I don't want them knowing what med I take or that I am positive. And that is not what the local lab where I had the test done told me, they said I would have the chance to first cite any meds I am on before the employer is notified.

I just hope the local lab will do the right ethical thing and call me first if anything comes up and allow me the chance to provide simple verification from my doc about my meds, and the potential impact on the test.

Lastly, not sure if this matters or not but I took another drug test several months ago, but it was a mouth swab test, not a urine one, and came back clean, and I was on Atripla then also. Just hoping nothing comes back and I don't have to deal with anything. Because it would seem very unlawful and unethical for any potential employer to receive drug test results WITHOUT first giving the testee the chance to provide doctor verification of medications. This job would be my dream job, and I really don't want something as lame as this to spoil it for me.

[Jeff G]

Im in pain management and they used to drug test me to make sure I wasn't abusing the medications and Atripla did show a false positive to THC , they expected it because they knew what meds I was on so it wasn't a problem for me .

[RobbyR]

Im in pain management and they used to drug test me to make sure I wasn't abusing the medications and Atripla did show a false positive to THC , they expected it because they knew what meds I was on so it wasn't a problem for me .

Thats cool, I'm hoping nothing will show up so I don't have to deal with this, but in this case, it is just a routine pre employment drug screening so they don't know what meds I am on yet. They said if something comes up they will let me know first and give me the chance to list what meds I take or provide doctor's note before contacting my potential employer which seems like the ethical thing to do. I'm hoping they use the more sensitive test for it so as to rule out anything other than meds if there is a false poz. I just don't necessarily want my future employer to know what meds I take, because if I had to tell them the specific med, then they would know I am hiv positive so I don't want that to influence anything. Just hoping for the best.

[Niceguy2013]

Was wondering how this turned out. I am in the same situation and never got a call from the company thus far. How did your test turn out?

[Niceguy2013]

Just for the record I had a pre employment drug test and they didn't ask what medicine I was on. They said if anything was out of the ordinary a medical review officer would contact me for clarification. I'm on Atripla for the past 9 months
and was worried.

I saw on the paperwork that they confirm with GC-MS Gas chromatograph and mass spectrometry.

No one contacted me and I passed the drug test because I landed the job. So don't stress about this too much.