title: The Fourth Amendment and random drug testing of people with chronic pain.
abstract: It is common for physicians who prescribe opioids for chronic pain to drug test their patients. This practice may soon be mandated by the State of Washington as a result of passage of their new law ESHB 2876. Random drug testing of people simply because they seek treatment for chronic pain arguably constitutes a suspicionless and warrantless search that violates both the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. Issues discussed include consent, circumstantial coercion, and "special needs" searches.
authors.affiliation: PAIN Exhibit, Sacramento, California, USA. Mark@PainExhibit.com
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Collen
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States; D014861:Washington
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid