Urine Toxicology Testing in Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Urine toxicology testing can be a useful tool in clinical decision making when caring for patients with substance use disorders. It is critical for providers to be familiar with the pros and cons of various types of testing and to be skilled in interpreting the results.
Objectives:
Review essential concepts in urine toxicology testing including testing methods, specimen validity measures, windows of detection and cut-off concentrations.
Discuss toxicology testing in the context of substance use disorder treatment including monitoring for prescription medication use and/or returns to use as well as how to talk with patients about drug testing.
Learn how to interpret urine toxicology results including unexpectedly positive/negative specimens.
Examine strategies for caring for special populations including those who are engaged with the child welfare and criminal justice systems.
Continuing Medical Education
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Maine Medical Education Trust and CCSME. The Maine Medical Education Trust is accredited by the Maine Medical Association Committee on Continuing Medical Education and Accreditation to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Contact Hours
1 contact hour for social workers, licensed clinical professional counselors, and behavioral health professionals
1 Category I contact hour for psychologists are provided. CCSME is a pre-approved sponsor and provider of Professional Education Activities for Psychologists.
1 contact hour CHES. CCSME is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.
1 contact hour pending for alcohol and drug counselors from the board of alcohol and drug counselors
Speaker
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Alane O'ConnorDNPAlane O’Connor, DNP is the director of perinatal addiction medicine at Maine Medical Center and is the medical advisor of the Maine Maternal Opioid Misuse (MaineMOM) Initiative, a 5-year, $5 million federal grant to expand access to substance use treatment for pregnant and postpartum individuals in Maine. She also co-chairs Maine’s Opioid Response Clinical Advisory Committee, which advises the Governor’s opioid response director on clinical and public policy issues. Dr. O’Connor has more than 15 years of experience in addiction medicine in a variety of settings including the design and implementation of an extended-release buprenorphine pilot at Somerset County Jail, rapid access to substance use treatment in emergency departments through Maine Medical Association’s Project RISE, as well extensive experience caring for pregnant patients with substance use disorder in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. She lectures regionally and nationally and has trained more than 100 family medicine and obstetric resident physicians. She is a core faculty member of Maine’s only addiction medicine fellowship program. Finally, she has published numerous peer reviewed articles on maternal and infant outcomes of substance exposed pregnancies including the related child welfare implications as well as the care of incarcerated pregnant patients.