Premier InfoSource Introducing the New Expanded Opiate Drug Screening Panel - Now you can detect Oxycodone and Oxymorphone with a new FDA-cleared screening technology

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Introducing the New Expanded Opiate Drug Screening Panel - Now you can detect Oxycodone and Oxymorphone with a new FDA-cleared screening technology

Source: Quest Diagnostics

The abuse of opiates is on the rise.

Many opiates such as Oxycodone and Hydrocodone have seen a dramatic increase of abuse over the last several years. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) showed that lifetime use of Oxycodone increased 47%, and that of Hydrocodene increased 27% (1). In addition, the Drug Abuse Warning Network showed that Oxycodone single use (not in combination with other drugs) increased a staggering 295% (2).

These prescribed drugs are obtained on the street from numerous sources or from individuals who visit many different doctors with fake symptoms to obtain multiple prescriptions for the drugs.

A favorite of abusers is OxyContin, the number-one prescribed Schedule II narcotic in the U.S. (3), whose only active ingredient is Oxycodone. By chewing, snorting or injecting it, abusers defeat the intended time-release action to gain a euphoric high - similar to that of heroin without the withdrawal symptoms.

These drugs are highly addictive and are also responsible for sharp rises in emergency-room visits and related deaths over the past several years.

Expanded opiate testing from the nation's leading drug screening company

In the past, opiate drug screening panel only detected such opiates as codeine and morphine. But now, thanks to a new FDA-cleared using specimen screening technology, it is possible to detect Oxycodone and Oxymorphone as low as 100 ng/ml.

Quest Diagnostics has conducted a pilot study of the technology that showed the positivity rate for Oxycodone alone would increase by more than 100%. (4). Based on these finding, we are offering a new expanded opiate panel that incorporates the detection of these additional opiates and analytes. The expanded opiate panel from Quest Diagnostics includes Codeine, Morphine, Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Oxycodone and Oxymorphone. This allow you to detect more opiate abuse and assists you in keeping your workplace drug fee.

References:
1. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (formerly, the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse), 2003.
2. Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) emergency department data between 2000 and 2002.
3. Drug Enforcement Administration - Drug Intelligence Brief. Oxycontin: Pharmaceutical Diversion. March 2002.
4. Results of workplace drug tests performed by Quest Diagnostics Inc. between 2003 and 2004.