Scenario 2A clinician calls and says the laboratory made an error on a general opiate drug screen he had ordered for one of his patients to detect methadone, which was being prescribed for this patient. The clinician states that the patient always takes his/her methadone at the correct time each day, yet the urine opiate screen is negative. The clinician also wonders why the urine creatinine is fl

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The page below is a sample from the LabCE course The Toxicology Laboratory's Role in Pain Management: Testing for Opiates. Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

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Scenario 2
A clinician calls and says the laboratory made an error on a general opiate drug screen he had ordered for one of his patients to detect methadone, which was being prescribed for this patient. The clinician states that the patient always takes his/her methadone at the correct time each day, yet the urine opiate screen is negative. The clinician also wonders why the urine creatinine is flagging abnormal (it is 15 mg/dL).
Why is the opiate screen negative if the patient is taking methadone regularly as prescribed?
What does the abnormal creatinine result probably indicate?