Monitoring patterns of substance use in drug-dependent patients

J Subst Abuse Treat. 1998 Sep-Oct;15(5):425-30. doi: 10.1016/s0740-5472(97)00289-4.

Abstract

Drug-addicted patients (N = 435) admitted for treatment in different clinical settings were studied. Patients were classified according to their self-report of consumed drugs and to the results of urine screening tests. Of the patients, 77.8% were active consumers, 9.6% were included in a methadone maintenance program, and 12.6% were abstinent. In the active consumer patients, positive urine screening results surpassed by far the information provided in the self-reports. Most patients tested positive to several drugs, while only 8.7% tested negative to all screened drugs. These results indicate that the information provided by drug-dependent patients lacks reliability when an analytical screening method is used simultaneously.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Heroin Dependence / psychology
  • Heroin Dependence / urine
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Methadone / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Narcotics / therapeutic use
  • Substance Abuse Detection
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / rehabilitation
  • Substance-Related Disorders / urine

Substances

  • Narcotics
  • Methadone