Toxicology Expert Discusses False Positive in Employee Drug Test

Case Overview

This case involves a quality control technician who worked at an automotive manufacturing plant in Idaho. She arrived at work sweating, shaking, and stammering, which aroused suspicions from her supervisor. She was sent to an on-site clinic for a drug test, and subsequently tested positive for amphetamines. As a result of the positive test result, she was immediately terminated. The worker subsequently claimed that her medications for ADHD, as well as other medications she had been taking at the time for a cold, were causing the test to show these results. An expert was retained to review her test results, and compare them with the list of medications she claimed to be taking and determine whether or not those medications could have corresponded to her subsequent positive test result for amphetamines.

Questions to the Toxicology expert and their responses

Are you familiar with the metabolites involved in the urine toxicology of methamphetamine?

I am quadruple board certified in Medical Toxicology, Occupational Medicine, Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine. I am full-time faculty, as an Assistant Clinical Professor at a major medical university. I am the Medical Director for the Occupational Health Service at a major medical institution. I am very familiar with metabolites involved in the urine toxicology of methamphetamine. I have interpreted over 1,000 urine drug screens in my career.

Could a person on methamphetamine have a positive urine toxicology?

There are prescription and non-prescription causes for positive urine results. Review of the screening methodology and confirmatory testing would help with that. Also, the chain of custody should be reviewed to determine if there was any possibility of tampering or adulteration.

About the expert

This extremely well-qualified expert is quadruple-board certified in family medicine, occupational medicine, preventive medicine and medical toxicology. He earned his BS, MD and MPH degrees from the University of Arizona and completed residency training at UCLA and the California Department of Public Health in Family Medicine and Preventative Medicine, respectively. He is the president of the California Academy of Preventive Medicine and a member of various other professional organizations, including the American College of Medical Toxicology. He has formerly held attending physician positions in the emergency departments of several hospitals. Currently he serves as the medical director of an occupational health service at a top California medical center, as a medical toxicologist at a local premier hospital, and as the assistant medical director of a regional poison control system.

E-022427

Specialties:

Toxicology