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ARTICLES |
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As the assay is designed for screening only, positive results are considered to be presumptive only. Positive results should be confirmed by a second method. When requested, positive samples are referred to Melbourne for confirmation and quantitation using gas chromatography / mass spectroscopy. Urine drug screens might be ordered for medical reasons such as in investigation of loss of consciousness or psychotic disturbance for example. In this setting, the laboratory will include trycyclic medications in the screen. Another medical indication could be as part of a treatment program for management of drug abuse. It is important that the clinical history should state treatment program or words to that effect when this is the case. Urine drug screens are also frequently requested for legal or employment reasons. It is important to note that these tests usually cannot be billed to the Health Insurance Commission, and that it is an offence to represent patient requested screens or court ordered tests as medical testing. In some instances, urine drug screens might be paid for by the Department of Human Services when ordered by the court. This should be determined ahead of time. In most instances the test will be billed to the party requesting it such as in employer screening programs or will be the responsibility of the patient as a self determined test. Because of privacy and medicolegal issues, Gippsland Pathology Service has instituted a policy of not issuing copies of non-medical urine drug screens. Only one report will be issued and this will be sent to the party that has ordered the test. It will be the responsibility of the requesting party to release any copies of the result. Only the party that requested the screen will be able to order confirmation or quantification by a second method in Melbourne. This will also generate an additional cost. Please note that copies of results will not be made available to lawyers or any other parties by Gippsland Pathology Service even if they are listed on the requisition. The computer system is designed to prevent the distribution of copies of non-medical drug screens. If the request is generated by a law firm, company, or government office and the report is to go to that party, then they should be listed as the requesting party. They will receive the only copy of the report from GPS. It will be the responsibility of the requestor to issue copies of results as is appropriate. Please note that self determined tests, or tests that are not billed to the HIC, do not need to be signed by a medical practitioner. If you are asked to write a request for urine drug screen by a patient when you would not have ordinarily ordered that screen for medical purposes, the test cannot be billed to medicare. The result will be issued only to the requesting party as a self determined test, and no copies will be issued. for
further information, please contact : |
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