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Study: Doctors lack basic knowledge of drug testing

Physician Practice Advisor, February 15, 2006

According to a study published in the February Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, many physicians who test teenagers for illegal drugs lack basic knowledge about administering the tests and ensuring the results are accurate.

Researchers surveyed 359 doctors who saw 10 or more adolescents a week and found that only 23% followed correct procedures for collecting urine samples, such as monitoring the patients as samples were provided. Only 7% of the doctors examined the urine for tampering.

When asked which drugs can be detected in routine panels, only 10% answered all items correctly, 47% admitted they did not know for one or more items, and 75% responded incorrectly for one or more items.

Click here to read the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine report.

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