Can you trust patient self-reports of drug use during treatment?
This study compared two frequently used measures of drug use, urine testing and self-report in a sample of subjects currently enrolled in methadone treatment for a minimum of six months. A comparison between the percentage of positive opiate urine screens and subjects' self-reported opiate use indicated that more patients self-reported opiate use (80%) than had been detected by urinalysis (57%). Similar results were found for cocaine use. We present arguments that a more inclusive method of measuring drug use during treatment should include the combination of both urinalysis and self-reports.
Zanis
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DA
Penn-VA Center for Studies of Addiction, Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center 19104.
McLellan
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AT
Randall
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M
D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014342:Truth Disclosure
D009294:Narcotics; D003042:Cocaine; D008691:Methadone