Can a primary care physician legally drug test me at every visit?

Question

I am looking for a new primary care doctor. I called one in my area and the receptionist asked my name and I gave it to her. Her very next question was if I was on any pain medication. I was a little confused, so I asked if I had made a mistake and accidentally called a pain management doctor. She said no then asked the same question again, so I told her that I was not on any pain medications. She said that it was their policy that I would be drug tested at every appointment. I asked why and she transferred me to the doctor himself. He answered the phone and said 'you want to be my patient?' I did not exactly know what to say, so I said yes and he said 'okay hold on' & transferred me back to the receptionist. I don't want to be treated like an addict if I go to the doctor for an ear infection. Is this legal? I live in Delaware if that matters.

And yes, I am 100% aware that I do not have to go to this doctor, I am just curious if this is legal.

PaleoCon Nation · Answer

Doctor shopping for pain medication is an ongoing issue for certain doctors, especially doctors dealing with the elderly and with Medicaid patients. They must ask your permission to test you, and only for a certain federal schedule of drugs, like Oxycontin. It is legal, so to avoid patients having multiple prescriptions for these drugs, indicated by higher concentrations of them in the blood. They can not charge you for the test.

Why an ear infection? When you go to a doctor for any reason, and fill-out the forms, that doctor becomes YOUR doctor, and when you see him the next time, it could be for pain. Most addicts don't do to a doctor initially to get their pain killers, they wait. They go for something else, often several appts, before they finally complain of crippling pain...

addicts are clever and resourceful, and we all pay the price. Every time seems rather unreasonable to me, and would never have this doctor as my own, but obviously he's been burned in the past. I'm sure over time, the drug test with each appt is relaxed for his most trusted patients. But they want a reference sample of your blood before your next appt in the future, whenever that may be.

Nosehair · Answer

It's legal for a doctor to drug test anybody but he can only drug test you with your permission. It appears that you just got a wack-job doctor - move on.

? · Answer

Yes it is legal. It is their policy and by accepting him as a doctor you agree to those terms.

k · Answer

your next question should have been-
are you paying for these drug tests or are you going to bill my insurance each time-

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Can a primary care physician legally drug test me at every visit?

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