Ameritox Urine Drug Test has destroyed my doctor/patient relationship... literally.

a reply to: Skadi_the_Evil_Elf

agreed with all that.
medical care across the board is in a sad state.
with inflated costs. this pill count/drug test/contract BS.
credit card on file crap.

i hate it when you go get say an mri and they charge you like 5 grand. there is a huge profit built into that. that is not an actual cost of an mri. the machine probably pays for itself in a couple years and after that is is mostly profit.

it would be nice to be charged actual cost for things across the board. i can see doctors/surgeons etc charging high costs for visits and such. i understand that. they went to school for years and probably owe hundreds of thousands in loans and such. malpractice insurance, etc.

what im talking about is when the ER gives me a motrin, either charge me nothing or give me an actual cost.
they buy a bottle of 500 count for x amount. divide my single pill by that and charge me the pennies.

a reply to: NavyDoc

***UPDATE***

Not sure if I mentioned in this thread that I emailed my state senator, who coincidentally is on the Senate Medical Advisory Board, and he just called me tonight... and is going to go to bat for me!!!

That's really all I know. He's going to take my problem to the committee, and speak with the Medical Licensing Board, and get back with me on what he can do to help me.

I was a little taken aback that he called me directly. Very humbled and very grateful at that.

a reply to: new_here

Sweet , give them hell..

I'm confused about that letter.. it states you are not taking the controlled substance yet it offers rehab?

A lot of my members (uaw) have been sent for drug testing for various reasons.. one employee came back positive.. he denied it vehemently.. he was sent back and had a hair sample done.. turns out he was correct.. upon further investigation an error rate of 3 to 11% has been found in urine tests.. mishandled at the Dr office, mislabeled,depending on the labs they are sent to for testing can have the highest discrepancy.. errors in the medical field are rampant and tend to be swept under the rug.

Do all that which is in your power and some.. make these suckers and your former Dr pay.. he left you with a serious unresolved life threatening condition didn't he? Your blood pressure?
Go for the throat.. I'll be praying for your victory.

o

edit on 20-5-2015 by Astroved because: (no reason given)

originally posted by: new_here
a reply to: NavyDoc

***UPDATE***

Not sure if I mentioned in this thread that I emailed my state senator, who coincidentally is on the Senate Medical Advisory Board, and he just called me tonight... and is going to go to bat for me!!!

That's really all I know. He's going to take my problem to the committee, and speak with the Medical Licensing Board, and get back with me on what he can do to help me.

I was a little taken aback that he called me directly. Very humbled and very grateful at that.

Awesome....This is your health. You deserve a coherent answer.

ATS is full of some incredibly bright people.

The information provided by some Professional's Was both timely and informative.

Great and Relevant Thread.

originally posted by: HooHaa
a reply to: new_here

Sweet , give them hell..

I'm confused about that letter.. it states you are not taking the controlled substance yet it offers rehab?

A lot of my members (uaw) have been sent for drug testing for various reasons.. one employee came back positive.. he denied it vehemently.. he was sent back and had a hair sample done.. turns out he was correct.. upon further investigation an error rate of 3 to 11% has been found in urine tests.. mishandled at the Dr office, mislabeled,depending on the labs they are sent to for testing can have the highest discrepancy.. errors in the medical field are rampant and tend to be swept under the rug.

Do all that which is in your power and some.. make these suckers and your former Dr pay.. he left you with a serious unresolved life threatening condition didn't he? Your blood pressure?
Go for the throat.. I'll be praying for your victory.

Honey, you're not the only one confused by that letter! Some have suggested it is probably a 'form letter' but dang... such a serious message to not at LEAST take the time to personalize it to my situation. Anyway, I can't find out because they won't even talk to me about the letter, the test results, not to mention my BP.

I have, as you have indicated, discovered scads of studies and personal accounts of the fail-rate of these urine tests. I honestly have more questions than answers about how this all came to pass.

Thanks for prayers and good wishes!

a reply to: whyamIhere

Thanks whyamIhere! And thanks you for staying with me and contributing so much to the life of this thread.

I have to believe that Truth with prevail. Your support has helped keep me positive when I feel down about it.

a reply to: whyamIhere

Pat Anson is an award winning journalist who has worked as a reporter, producer, writer, and anchor at TV and radio stations in Ohio, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Iowa, and Los Angeles. He was a producer and correspondent for Nightly Business Report and HealthWeek on PBS, as well as other nationally syndicated shows. He asked if he could feature my situation in his story, here:

Readers Sound Off on Urine Drug Tests

a reply to: new_here

Just wanted to pop in real quick and say that I've been following this thread since you posted it and haven't really had anything to contribute due to all of the other fantastic posters who have already said anything I might have thought of

But I did want to let you know that you probably have other lurkers, like myself, who have been reading along and hoping/praying you get a satisfactory resolution to your dilemma.

Keep it up and please know that you aren't alone, nor are you fighting only for yourself.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

Thank you so much, jadedANDcynical! It means a lot... I feel the love.

I see this was posted a few months ago, but I've been googling all over! I posted a few topics though out the web on my issue! So I've been in a suboxone clinic 3 years. Never failed for anything! I also get adderall under a different doctor. So I went to the suboxone doctor. He tells me, my results have been spun. It's reading that I haven't been taken my pills: That it either reads, I diluted it or have not taken any in the last 7 days?! That just sounds ridiculous two opposite theories for a test that's 100% accurate! Psh..
My level read in 100 something. He's trying to tell me it's suppose to be in the 1,000s! I saw a comment where the company compeers these to other compliant patients. Which I found of humor bc I know a guy who's results came back "normal" an he told me, "he takes WAY over his dose!" So if that's the scale I have to work with.. sounds like the good patients are getting the # end of the stick! I'm curious what the normal number should read at?
He also said my addaral level was low... Mind you.. I've never told them the MG I take or have they asked for records from that doctor. So my issue.. I have a paper all screwed up and might effect me with another medicine I need. When they sent it out with no idea of my dosage from the other doctor?
Even when I was trying to explain, which I couldn't bc I've been taken my meds. The doctor was asking me off the wall questions.
"Did I do any other drugs and try to alter my test by using some one else's urine, Did I water it down" they kept insisting I did something! I asked the nurse, "if my system could metabolize it different?" An she tells me "no way, these are 100% accurate; they come all the way from LA and are used in court trials!" Omg.. I could see how biblical these testings were then, an I knew I was screwd! So long story short, they pretty much kicked me! Right 3 years of a patient being clean and staying on top of things. To being tossed out on the street all bc some fancy lab... It's awful what they are doing to ppl! I'm calling to get my paper tomorrow. I want some one else to explain the results. Bc they can't be reading them right, or they wernt done right! To say "oh it maybe watered down," suggests to me the lab is just giving them so explanation accuse to why my results are so confusing! God forbid they say "oh we need a new urine something is not working with this" no why would they want to do that? It will make doctors question their accuracy. Money that's all it is!

This is the most atrocious example of detrimental, intrusive healthcare management I have ever heard of. It's terrifying, and should be so to anyone else who requires frequent medical care. I have never been asked to take a urine test to prove compliance with a medication regimen, and it horrifies me that I could have a negative reaction to a drug, lower my dose unilaterally, and get dropped by my PCP. I have never, ever heard of such a thing. It's news to me, and is absolutely repugnant!

I hope you get legal (and financial) restitution for this, however long it takes. This should never, ever be acceptable imho. Best of luck.

Peace.

a reply to: new_here

Considering that they can't even prove the amounts taken, and all the rest, I'd seriously consider a lawsuit.

Of course, if the doc acts this way, youd likely be better with someone else, anyway. Some docs think they are God.

a reply to: new_here

I feel terrible because I haven't checked in on you in a really long time. How are you doing? Have there beeen any new updates? I hope some significant progress has been made in your situation and that you are doing ok! I have been encountering more and more people who have been reporting similar issues...this is just getting scarier and scarier. I'm afraid to go to the doctor because I don't want to be tracked like the above poster was describing. It's really creepy and nothing good can come of this escalation in incidents.