The discovery of antibiotics revolutionized medicine as we know it, and prescription opioid medications provide much-needed relief for patients recovering from surgery or managing chronic pain. Antibiotics must be taken until the prescription runs out, but patients often discontinue taking pain medications when they start feeling better. But if your old symptoms reoccur after your prescription has expired, is it legal to take your old pain medication? And is it safe?

First Choice is Arkansas’ most trusted third-party test administrator, and we offer discreet and confidential drug and alcohol testing services Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CDT with no appointment necessary. We offer every conceivable lab test at our Little Rock laboratory, and we keep a Medical Review Officer (MRO) on staff to verify the accuracy of all test results. Pre-employment, random, and reasonable suspicion drug testing are an important way for companies to keep recreational drugs and alcohol out of the workplace, but employees and job applicants are generally in the clear as long as they’re using prescribed opioids for a legitimate medical reason. Here are a few common questions we hear about prescription opioid testing, and we’re always a phone call away if you have any additional questions:

How long can I legally continue to use prescription opioids? The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) considers a prescription to be legal if it is being used by the person to whom it was prescribed, regardless of how long ago the prescription was filled.

Is it safe to use expired pain medication? Prescription drugs are still generally safe to take past their expiration date, but the active ingredients will become less effective over time. It’s a much better idea to contact your physician to authorize a refill if your old symptoms reoccur.

Can a positive result be changed? If the MRO can authenticate the prescription through the pharmacy or the prescribing physician, a laboratory-confirmed positive can be downgraded to a negative. If the result is downgraded to a negative, there may still be a reportable safety concern if the employee is operating a vehicle or heavy machinery while using legally prescribed opioids.

Contact us online or at 501-661-9992 if you have any questions about drug and alcohol testing services in Little Rock or if you’d like to schedule an appointment.