Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Urine Drug Testing
In an article published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, authors offer 10 practical tips to guide palliative care clinicians in the use of urine drug testing (UDT) during opioid therapy. The authors review current evidence, testing methods, interpretation of results, and strategies for balancing patient safety with effective pain management. They also highlight the limited evidence supporting routine UDT in palliative care, potential costs and disparities in testing practices, and the importance of individualized, nonjudgmental approaches. The article emphasizes that UDT should support clinical decision-making while prioritizing patient-centered care and minimizing potential harms.