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To UDT or not to UDT for injured workers: Is this even a question?

Drug testing for workers' comp claims. It's still complicated.

By Nancy Grover | Updated on May 29, 2015

Medical treatment guidelines, such as the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the Work Loss Data Institute’s Official Disability Guidelines, recommend urine drug testing (UDT) for monitoring injured workers who are prescribed opioids. Yet studies show that few physicians actually order the tests.

There are a variety of concerns about UDT, including its potential over-use, under-use, effectiveness and cost. The guidelines are fairly nonspecific in terms of the frequency and type of testing that are most appropriate for injured workers. The fact is, all UDTs are not created equally and should not be used interchangeably.

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Nancy Grover

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