title: Acceptability of drug testing in an outpatient substance abuse program for adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laboratory drug testing programs may be effective in reducing substance use by adolescents, but developmentally appropriate programs have not been described, and it is unknown if adolescents would be willing to participate in drug testing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe a drug testing protocol for adolescents and report on acceptance rate by patients participating in an outpatient adolescent substance abuse program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible adolescents participating in an outpatient substance abuse treatment program were offered a random laboratory drug testing program that is described in detail in this manuscript. We recorded whether they accepted and, if not, the reason for refusal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the first 114 eligible patients, 67 (59%) agreed to participate in a drug testing program (PDT).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A majority of adolescents participating in an outpatient drug treatment program agreed to participate in a drug testing program that requires frequent urine specimens and reports results to parents. Future studies should determine how this program affects treatment outcomes and whether this program is feasible in primary care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Sharon.Levy@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Zohar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.forename: Lon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sherritt
authors.forename: Roger D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D041923:Adolescent Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010290:Parents; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D016482:Urinalysis; D055815:Young Adult