title: Urine drug testing results and paired oral fluid comparison from patients enrolled in long-term medication-assisted treatment in Tennessee.
abstract: Urine drug testing is recommended for individuals receiving medication-assisted treatment. It provides objective information for practitioners to consider and may serve as a protective factor against drug-related mortality. The primary objective of our study was to describe urine drug testing results for patients undergoing long-term medication-assisted treatment (≥6months). The secondary objective was to provide further evidence to establish oral fluid as a reliable alternative to urine. All subjects (n=639) included in the study were enrolled in one of five treatment centers in the state of Tennessee, and all urine specimens were positive for either methadone or buprenorphine. Nicotine (87%), caffeine (70%), marijuana (15%), alcohol (14%) and gabapentin (10%) were the most prevalent substances identified through urine drug testing. The presence of non-maintenance opioids (prescription and/or heroin) may represent relapse; these drugs were present in 10% of specimens tested. Evidence of illicit drug use (cocaine, heroin, marijuana and/or methamphetamine) was detected in 19% specimens. For 126 of the 639 subjects included in the study, paired oral fluid and urine test results were compared for agreement. Of the total paired urine and oral fluid tests, approximately 7% were positive for a drug in both specimen types and 91% were negative in both, resulting in an overall agreement of 98%. The study demonstrates continued use of illicit and commercially available medications in a medication-assisted treatment population undergoing long-term treatment. The results affirm the reliability of oral fluid as an alternative specimen type for compliance testing in this population.
authors.affiliation: Aegis Sciences Corporation, 501 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37228, United States. Electronic address: kmiller@axialhealthcare.com.
authors.forename: Katie L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Aegis Sciences Corporation, 501 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37228, United States.
authors.forename: Brandi L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Puet
authors.affiliation: Aegis Sciences Corporation, 501 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37228, United States.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Aegis Sciences Corporation, 501 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37228, United States.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hild
authors.affiliation: State of Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Andrew Jackson Building, Sixth Floor, 500 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN 37243, United States.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: Aegis Sciences Corporation, 501 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37228, United States; Vanderbilt University, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, 1161 21st Avenue South, MCN A5211, Nashville, TN 37232, United States.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D013714:Tennessee; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs
keywords: Compliance testing; Methadone maintenance; Opioid treatment; Oral fluid; Substance abuse; Urine drug testing