Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42060008›Full record

ReviewCurrent pain and headache reports2026

Discrepancies in Urine Drug Screening Among Patients Receiving Chronic Opioid Therapy for Non-Cancer Pain: A Retrospective Review.

Jamal Hasoon, Omar Viswanath, Ivan Urits, Giustino Varrassi, Alan D Kaye

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Current pain and headache reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jamal HasoonDepartment of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA. Jamal.J.Hasoon@uth.tmc.edu.
Omar ViswanathDepartment of Anesthesiology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
Ivan UritsDepartment of Pain Management, Southcoast Health Pain Management, Wareham, MA, USA.
Giustino VarrassiDepartment of Research, Paolo Procacci Foundation, ITA, Rome, Italy.
Alan D KayeDepartment of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Science Center at Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewThis study reviews urine drug screening (UDS) outcomes in patients undergoing chronic opioid therapy for non-cancer related pain. The objective was to assess the prevalence of aberrant results, including the presence of non-prescribed substances, absence of prescribed opioids, and other discrepancies, using random electronic medical record (EMR) review over a one-year period. RECENT

findingsFifty-six patient records from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, were randomly selected and reviewed. Urine drug screens were compared against prescribed opioid regimens. Eight patients (14.3%) tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) compounds, while one patient (1.8%) tested positive for cocaine. Notably, nine patients (16.1%) had negative screens for opioids that were currently prescribed, raising concerns about diversion or nonadherence. Additionally, three patients (5.4%) tested positive for an opioid different from the one prescribed. Overall, discrepancies between prescribed medications and urine drug screen findings were common, suggesting challenges in adherence monitoring and the need for structured screening protocols.

conclusionUnexpected urine drug screening results are prevalent among patients on chronic opioid therapy for non-cancer pain. The high rates of absent prescribed opioids, presence of non-prescribed substances, and detection of illicit drugs highlight the importance of routine screening, careful documentation, and patient-provider communication to optimize safe opioid prescribing practices.

Indexed as

Analgesics, OpioidChronic PainSubstance Abuse DetectionSubstance-Related DisordersCocaineDronabinolHumansMedication AdherencePrescription Drug DiversionRetrospective StudiesAnalgesics, OpioidCocaineDronabinolChronic opioid therapyChronic painOpioidsSubstance use monitoringUrine drug screening

Identifiers

PMID42060008

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.