Upcoming Medical with drug test

Silent Runner

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the right forum or not.

I have a pre-employment medical, which will be coming up exactly three weeks since I smoked a joint. I smoked a joint (well 1 but definitely under 2). The last time I smoked a joint was November/December and again before that would have been 3-4 years ago.

I have read a lot of conflicting stuff on the internet. Some say occasional/infrequent users could pass after a few days to a week.

I would have a high metabolism, I'm 189cm and 74kg. Exercise a lot.

This really has been praying on my mind as this is my dream job!

My question is two fold:

Can you ask a GP to do a urine test and how long would it take to get a result? If they are measuring THC?

RobFowl

Ok
Medical advice is not allowed
Please do not ask questions about how tests can affect you etc
Will allow discussion on tests in general though
Rob
Moderator

Lux23

I think you can buy tests in a pharmacy these days.

Silent Runner

I've ordered one online, FDA approved.

Got talking to a toxicologist student and from doing literature reviews I think I'm safe enough. Didn't mean to ask for medical advice, just a bit edgy landing a job.

jumpguy

Silent Runner wrote: »

I've ordered one online, FDA approved.

Got talking to a toxicologist student and from doing literature reviews I think I'm safe enough. Didn't mean to ask for medical advice, just a bit edgy landing a job.

I medicine there's a principle of never ordering a test if the results won't change your management - what are you going to do if the test is positive? :P Poppy seeds on bagels can give you a positive opioid urine test, eating hemp can cause you to flag up positive on THC (cannabis) urine tests. I wouldn't panic. I'm kinda surprised tbh, is drug testing common for pre-employment medicals? What kinda tests do they do, just urine? Seems like a bit of an ethical landmine, and I didn't think the testing was anywhere near accurate enough to screen normal people (too many false positives?)

Vorsprung

jumpguy wrote: »

Poppy seeds on bagels can give you a positive opioid urine test

Is this true?!

john the one

Vorsprung wrote: »

Is this true?!

Heard it myself before but then I heard you would need to eat a kilo of the stuff for a reading.

jumpguy

Vorsprung wrote: »

Is this true?!

Yup! Here's a free article on the matter which I found on the USADA website, and here is the USADA website. It is unlikely, and if someone has all the signs they've been taking drugs recently and test positive for opioids it's probably not the poppy seeds on a bagel, but it would be enough to make it a fairly dubious screening tool in my opinion!

Silent Runner

jumpguy wrote: »

I medicine there's a principle of never ordering a test if the results won't change your management - what are you going to do if the test is positive? :P Poppy seeds on bagels can give you a positive opioid urine test, eating hemp can cause you to flag up positive on THC (cannabis) urine tests. I wouldn't panic. I'm kinda surprised tbh, is drug testing common for pre-employment medicals? What kinda tests do they do, just urine? Seems like a bit of an ethical landmine, and I didn't think the testing was anywhere near accurate enough to screen normal people (too many false positives?)

Yeah it won't change anything, suppose it will just confirm what I already expect and put my mind at ease somewhat. I've been looking over the site of the organisation running the pre employment medical (won't mention names!). They do take a urine sample to test for "abnormalities and other constituents". Just on the FAQ section they mention drug testing but they say a disclaimer has to be signed before hand but I haven't heard a mention of this.

Silent Runner

The codeine in ibuprofen will also, in theory, give you a positive result.

I'd also imagine there must be some cut off point? To detect chronic users?

Mrs OBumble

jumpguy wrote: »

I'm kinda surprised tbh, is drug testing common for pre-employment medicals? What kinda tests do they do, just urine? Seems like a bit of an ethical landmine, and I didn't think the testing was anywhere near accurate enough to screen normal people (too many false positives?)

Becoming increasingly common, especially in safety conscious industries.

False positives aren't really a problem: you don't give someone a job 'cos you think is smokes illegal stuff, but he doesn't .. no harm done, someone else gets the job instead.

False negatives are though: you hire someone to operate heavy machinery 'cos you think he's clean, he cops that the tests don't pick up what he's using so stays with it - fast forward t him not having fast-enough reactions one day due to being under the influence, and lots of people die.

palmcut

Silent Runner wrote: »

The codeine in ibuprofen will also, in theory, give you a positive result.

I'd also imagine there must be some cut off point? To detect chronic users?

There is no Codeine in Ibuprofen. They are both individual drugs. There is Codeine and Ibuprofen in Nurofen Plus.

_Tombstone_

The Pointlessness of the Workplace Drug Test