title: Ethical considerations in urine drug testing.
abstract: Recent passage of a House Bill in the state of Washington led to a commentary on whether mandates for urine drug testing of pain patients represented a breach of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights of patients. Issues over true consent to such tests and potential view of warrantless searches were discussed. The authors address these concerns in a broader context of risk management and stratification efforts, along with discussion about the need for a tailored approach in this arena and consideration of cost burden for such tests. Finally, the argument is made that social justice issues need to be considered (along with issues of autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence).
authors.affiliation: Psychosomatic Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Passik
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kirsh
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid