Home > Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders > Urine drug screening

Definition

Urine drug screening, or toxicological screening, is a process of chemical analysis designed to test patients for drug abuse, or to insure that a patient is substance-free before undergoing a medical procedure.

Description

Urine drug screening can be used to evaluate possible accidental or intentional overdose or poisoning, to assess the type and amount of prescribed and/or illicit drugs used by a person, or to determine the cause of acute drug toxicity. It is also used to monitor drug dependency or to determine the presence of drugs in the body for medical and legal purposes.

In many occupations, urine drug screening has become a required condition of employment. Nearly all workers in certain occupations, such as law enforcement and transportation, must submit to...