[Jon1970]

I am on the prescription drug Vyvanse which is a form of the drug Adderall. I recently failed a pre employment drug screening that said I was on ampetamines. The drug testing faciilty told me to provide a copy of my prescription for adderall which I did and they then passed me. I want to know if in the future is there a way to avoid this from happenning? Is there a way to make it so drug screenings do not show this? I really do not want prospective employers to know that I have ADHD and Asperger Syndrome because I am afraid that I will face job discrimination.

Also, does anyone know if when a drug testing facilities reports the results to a prospective employer do they usually pass on information like that saying I am legally on a prescription drug or do they just report pass or fail?

[smoothy]

How do you avoid it in the future? YOU tell them about the drugs you are taking and provide proof BEFORE you take the test... they do ask you these things on your paperwork you fill out.

[Jon1970]

How do you avoid it in the future? YOU tell them about the drugs you are taking and provide proof BEFORE you take the test....they do ask you these things on your paperwork you fill out.

The problem is though that then the employer finds out I am on Adderall and I will then face employment discrimination. Employer's do not like employees with ADHD and Asperger Syndrome. They will even be very subtle about it. ADA prohibits them from doing that but they will find some other reason to deny you. They always do. Everyone knows that Adderall is a drug used for ADHD and Asperger Syndrome. The stigma of that is a problem. I guess that is why in a recent study it was showed that people with Asperger Syndrome have a 90 percent unemployment rate.

[smoothy]

So you'd rather get terminated for being untruthful on your drug test intake forms?

[Jon1970]

So you'd rather get terminated for being untruthful on your drug test intake forms?

What's the difference. If I report they won't hire me. If I am untruthful I get fired. Either way I would be out of a job. Does it really matter?

[Wondergirl]

Everyone knows that Adderall is a drug used for ADHD and Asperger Syndrome. The stigma of that is a problem. I guess that is why in a recent study it was showed that people with Asperger Syndrome have a 90 percent unemployment rate.

That figure is inaccurate. Involuntary unemployment is closer to 11-12%.

[Alty]

There's no way to hide this drug during a drug screening.

Many employers will hire people with learning disabilities, you just have to find the right employer. I can guarantee that lying to an employer will dissuade them from hiring you.

It sounds to me like you've never been forthright about your conditions, that you've gone to interviews hoping they wouldn't find out. Is that the case? If so, then that's the reason you're not getting hired.

[DrBill100]

I am on the prescription drug Vyvanse which is a form of the drug Adderall. I recently failed a pre employment drug screening that said I was on ampetamines. The drug testing faciilty told me to provide a copy of my prescription for adderall which I did and they then passed me. I want to know if in the future is there a way to avoid this from happenning? Is there a way to make it so drug screenings do not show this? I really do not want prospective employers to know that I have ADHD and Asperger Syndrome because I am afraid that I will face job discrimination.

Also, does anyone know if when a drug testing facilities reports the results to a prospective employer do they usually pass on information like that saying I am legally on a prescription drug or do they just report pass or fail?

You are absolutely correct that potential employers are not allowed to test for prescription drugs. That could lead to the potential disclosure of a disability and influence a hiring decision. That is the very essence of the ADA.

If you provide a prescription prior to a drug test then you voluntarily waive your right to confidentiality through self disclosure. It can then be provided to the employer directly. If the test is properly performed then the testing laboratory will not accept your prescription. There is nothing lab personnel can do with it. Rather, if your sample is returned positive then an MRO* calls you and then you provide information about the prescription. When dealing with an MRO the information developed remains part of a medical record and (s)he directs that the sample be returned negative with no information provided to the employer.

Vyvanse is a prodrug that creates dextroamphetamine through the metabolic process. So it will continue to show up on basic drug screens as amphetamine even though it isn't tested for.

If you feel that you were discriminated against due to the presence of this drug you have specific recourse through the ADA-EEOC. The information should not have been transmitted to the potential employer. The only person authorized to contact you is an MRO and they are not allowed to transmit that information to the employer.

One additional fact. Most employers do not drug test until they have decided to hire and made a conditional offer in writing. At that point they are not in a position to rescind the offer based on the prescription result or the disclosure of a disability. Once again the intent of the ADA. So hopefully you will not encounter this in the future. It is rare for an employer to spend money on every applicant as a screening tool.

*Medical Review Officer, a licensed medical doctor.

DISABILITY-RELATED INQUIRIES AND MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS OF EMPLOYEES UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

[Jon1970]

That figure is inaccurate. Involuntary unemployment is closer to 11-12%.

There was a study done in England that showed 90 percent unemployment rate. A study has never been done in America but most experts expect the results to be similar. I attend a couple of support groups and I am the only person there that has a job, owns a house and owns a car. There are 30 people in one of my support groups and the other has 20. All of the others live on public assistance. I refuse to do that though because I am not part of this entitlement society that has developed in America. If I have to work at a McDonald's because I can not find work I will. I actually have a job, this job was a second part time job that I want to help make ends meet. Of course Bill Gates also has Asperger Syndrome so it is not hopeless. He though had to do it on his own. He started a business.

[Jon1970]

You are absolutely correct that potential employers are not allowed to test for prescription drugs. That could lead to the potential disclosure of a disability and influence a hiring decision. That is the very essence of the ADA.

If you provide a prescription prior to a drug test then you voluntarily waive your right to confidentiality through self disclosure. It can then be provided to the employer directly. If the test is properly performed then the testing laboratory will not accept your prescription. There is nothing lab personnel can do with it. Rather, if your sample is returned positive then an MRO* calls you and then you provide information about the prescription. When dealing with an MRO the information developed remains part of a medical record and (s)he directs that the sample be returned negative with no information provided to the employer.

Vyvanse is a prodrug that creates dextroamphetamine through the metabolic process. So it will continue to show up on basic drug screens as amphetamine even though it isn't tested for.

If you feel that you were discriminated against due to the presence of this drug you have specific recourse through the ADA-EEOC. The information should not have been transmitted to the potential employer. The only person authorized to contact you is an MRO and they are not allowed to transmit that information to the employer.

One additional fact. Most employers do not drug test until they have decided to hire and made a conditional offer in writing. At that point they are not in a position to rescind the offer based on the prescription result or the disclosure of a disability. Once again the intent of the ADA. So hopefully you will not encounter this in the future. It is rare for an employer to spend money on every applicant as a screening tool.

*Medical Review Officer, a licensed medical doctor.

DISABILITY-RELATED INQUIRIES AND MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS OF EMPLOYEES UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

Thanks for your thorough reply. The MRO is the one that asked for the prescription I reference above. Thanks for telling me that the MRO is not allowed to share this info with the employer. That is what I needed to know. I just wish that there was some way to make the drug screens not show this so I do not have to deal with the hassle. It appears the only way is to not take it for 2 weeks prior and that is not an option for me.

[DrBill100]

Thanks for your thorough reply. The MRO is the one that asked for the prescription I reference above. Thanks for telling me that the MRO is not allowed to share this info with the employer. That is what I needed to know. I just wish that there was some way to make the drug screens not show this so I do not have to deal with the hassle. It appears the only way is to not take it for 2 weeks prior and that is not an option for me.

In that case the employer should not have had access to the information. The results should have been returned negative and of course no supplemental information is required or allowed under the rules regulating MROs. (Re: Medical Review Officer Manual, Oct 2010).

There is no way to avoid the disclosure in the long run. After a job offer has been made then the employer can require a medical examination and that is where prescription information can be requested... but remember at that point you would have been hired.

The point of ADA pre-offer drug testing involvement is to prevent discrimination in hiring. After that then the employer must make accommodation (if needed) and the only requirement is that you are capable of performing the job. Also, at that point the information on medications and disability must be maintained in a separate medical record and not part of personnel records. That limits those with access to the information.

So you are stuck with that.

There is no way to counteract the result. You are taking a pill that creates an amphetamine in your system.

[larangel]

It is a misconception that everyone who has been prescribed Adderall has either ADHD or Asperger's Syndrome and NO employer could ascertain with 100% certainty that someone has a specific disorder solely based on what medications they are taking. A potential employer cannot ask you to disclose details about a medical diagnosis or condition unless it has a significant impact upon your ability to perform your job duties. If your drug screen comes up positive, simply explain to the employer that you have been prescribed Adderall for a medical condition, provide a copy of the prescription, or have your physician write a letter stating that he/she has prescribed the medication, and let it be.

I would question the study done in England that shows a 90% unemployment rate. First of all, that sounds like a correlational study, which means they simply looked at how many people were unemployed without looking at why. That's like looking at a group of professional basketball players and then concluding that the reason most of them are tall is because they play basketball. Playing basketball did not CAUSE them to be tall, nor are they professional basketball players simply as a result of their height. Their height may be ASSOCIATED with being good at basketball, but is not the CAUSE.

By the same token, people with multiple disabilities (e.g. Aspergers & ADHD) might be at an increased risk of employment discrimination, but that does not mean that discrimination is the sole CAUSE of lower employment rates among these individuals. Individuals with Asperger's often have significant difficulty with social interaction and understanding nonverbal cues, both of which are crucial in the workplace. Difficulty relating to other people may result in problems with interviewing, such as coming across as disinterested or disrespectful because of poor eye contact. Individuals with Asperger's also may have problems with anxiety or depression, which further contribute to difficulties with employment. Some individuals become so anxious in social situations that they are incapacitated, resulting in an inability to work. There are many factors which might account for lower employment rates among individuals with Aspergers (assuming the English study cited is accurate).

The best policy is to be honest. If you have a legitimate reason for taking Adderall (or any other prescription medication for that matter), then I wouldn't worry about the drug screen.