Prescription meds

ATT. they stopped asking what meds. drivers take some many yrs ago, those drugs you take now must be on the latest med. form you passed, the doc. that is giving you the med. in ques. must sign a note on med. long form stating ok. to drive truck while taking the meds.Then after meds. show up on drug test you inform man that is listed on form what doc. to call that will ok. drug being in the test sample!

 

Just like leftlane said, just call some companies. I called all around and even just taking diabetes meds, I was told ehhhh, and had that uncomfortable feeling. There were some that did not give a rats butt if I was on it, as long as it adhered to the federal medical standard of no insulin or if I needed a medical waiver, to have it prior to applying.

All it took was me calling a crap ton of companies and telling specifically what I was taking and what it was for and most of the recruiters actually said yes or no or as long as you can pass a physical we don't care!

 

If you are off very long and not driving, that will count against you too.

 

Rx drugs are NOT screened for in a DOT drug test,if you would read your copy of the test it says right on it what they are looking for( only banned illegal drugs like,weed, coke, speed, herion & lsd,traces).DOT does not ask you to list anything that you may be taking..Now a company screening could be different and all over the board for what they want to check on you

 

You are just starting out and the last thing you need is a firing from failing a drug test. Read the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations section PART 40
" Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs" I know it's kind of hard to read but when you go over and over the reading it will start to make some sense. Your first step of course is to let your doctor know what you do for a living. Tell him or her you driver a truck and need your sleep. Make sure he or she is registered and fully knows the requirements you have to go through. It might even be smart to bring the little green handbook with you so the doctor can take a look too. Basically that's all you need to do but I wouldn't just leave it there. I would go in and talk with the company's safety department and explain how you are going to use them and even how you are going to protect them in a safe secure container.

During the test you do nothing but take the test. Most will not even want to know what you used before so just relax and take the test. If the test is run properly you will get a call from you company asking you why you were positive. You explain to them why and in most cases they will have you show the bottle to the dispatcher before you're dispatch. A clean easy test procedure done and you're out making money.

Do not try to hid a thing and do not try to show someone up on the regs. Be polite and ask if they would send you any changes that may come down the pike. I did that with Lortab and had no problems at all.

 

A month or 2 ago I took my med card test and the DOT approved Dr. asked what meds I was on.
I take a blood pressure pill thru Rx but others are over the counter as per my regular Dr.
The DOT Dr. also marked on the long forum everything I was taking at the time and my Dr. name & number so if anyone needed to talk to her they had the information.
I feel if you tell them everything they ask if it is picked up they have the data to follow up if you should be on it or not. Also if you fail a drug test they should tell you thru a review board Dr. to see if what was found why on it and if it is OK or not.

Now this drug test was for my truck driving school before they let you out on the field but should not be much different for an honest Co. looking to hire you.

BTW I had to get a waiver for my MED Card, not for drugs but eye sight. Talk about something that can kill jobs, I have to drive intrastate for the next 3 years per FED DOT rules and my state is not that big!

Good luck
Dave ----

 

you are wrong, TRAMADOL will NOT show up on a drug test!

 

Like LeftLane and a few others have said, you will be okay as long as you have a valid, current prescription for your meds. I would also suggest you get a preemptive note from your Dr. stating that he approves you to drive while taking your meds....
HOWEVER, I strongly suggest you DON'T say a word to your prospective employer beforehand, unless they specifically ask you. As long as everything you are on is legal (prescribed) and okay with your doctor, it really isn't your future companies business....If/when it shows in your urinalysis, the doctor/MRO (medical review officer) from the lab will contact you; that's when you'll need your documentation (ie-script, script #, phone # to your Dr. and pharmacy, etc.) As long as it all checks out, they are not supposed to even disclose it to your employer (HIPA/ confidential personal info).
The reason I suggest this? Personal experience.... I too have valid Rx meds I take, with my doctor (of over 10 years) knowing full well what I do, to what extent, and giving me his blessing. However, I had a previous employer that I was with for about 6 months, with nothing but exemplary work record (even got a raise after only 2 months!) call me in for a random one day. Knowing that it would most likely show up (curiously it did NOT in my pre-employment) I informed him ahead of time. Big mistake- given the stigma some people have towards the abuse of some prescribed drugs, he was all paranoid from that moment on...Even with my scripts and Dr. note explaining I was good to go, he decided that he just couldn't "risk it" (WTF???) and let me go. He was decent enough to pay me one month's severance pay, but I was still unjustly unemployed. So I decided from that point on, I wouldn't lie about it, BUT I wasn't going to volunteer anything either.
Hope this helps you, and good luck whatever happens!