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A Survey of ASAM Members' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Urine Drug Testing
Kenneth L Kirsh1, Louis E Baxter, Adam Rzetelny
1Millennium Research Institute (KLK, SDP), San Diego, CA; Millennium Health (KLK, AR, SDP), San Diego, CA; Professional Assistance Program of New Jersey (LEB), Princeton, NJ; and American Society of Addiction Medicine (LEB, MM), Chevy Chase, MD.
Journal of Addiction Medicine
|September 4, 2015
Summary
Urine drug testing (UDT) is widely used by addiction medicine specialists to monitor patient adherence and detect relapse. While most specialists are confident in interpreting UDT results, further education is needed to address existing knowledge gaps.
Area of Science:
- Addiction Medicine
- Clinical Chemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Urine drug testing (UDT) is a critical tool in addiction medicine.
- Recent advances have expanded the clinical utility of UDT.
- The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) published guidance on UDT.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of ASAM members regarding UDT.
- To understand how UDT is currently implemented in clinical practice.
Main Methods:
- A web-based survey was developed by ASAM leadership and experts.
- The survey targeted ASAM members to gather data on UDT use.
- Recruitment was conducted via mass email campaigns.
Main Results:
- 365 addiction specialists completed the survey.
- 93% felt confident interpreting UDT results; 90% used UDT for medication and illicit substance monitoring.
- UDT was primarily used for patients exhibiting problematic behavior (70%) and for baseline/random testing (57%).
Conclusions:
- UDT is extensively utilized and integrated into patient care by ASAM members.
- Over 94% of respondents use UDT for adherence monitoring, abstinence verification, and relapse detection.
- While confidence in UDT interpretation is high, educational gaps necessitate targeted future training.
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