When your provider recommends urine drug monitoring (UDM), they place it as a lab order. UDM is a urine test that checks for your prescribed medication and for other substances that could affect your treatment or your safety.
This article explains what UDM is, when a provider may recommend it, how to prepare, and how to buy a test yourself if insurance will not cover it.
Looking for something else? Booking, the New Lab Order message, how long results take, and lab bills are in How lab orders and testing work. Once your provider orders UDM, it follows that same path.
What UDM is
UDM is a standard safety practice in clinics that prescribe controlled medications, including stimulants for ADHD. The American Academy of Pain Medicine and the American Society of Addiction Medicine treat it as a best practice.
A provider may use UDM to:
Confirm your medication is present as expected
Check for substances that could interact with your treatment
Support safe prescribing as part of your care plan
UDM is a routine clinical tool, similar to checking your blood pressure. It is there to help your provider make decisions about your care. It is not mandatory. Whether it is part of your care is up to your provider, and it is a decision you make together. It is only done with your knowledge and agreement. You can ask questions or talk through alternatives before any test is done.
When a provider may recommend it
If your provider recommends UDM, it is most often at two points:
Before you start a stimulant, or at your first appointment if you are already prescribed one
About once every 12 months during ongoing treatment
It is not ordered for every patient. Your provider may recommend it, order it only when your care suggests it would help, or decide you do not need it.
How to prepare
Take your medication as prescribed in the 2-3 days before the test. Stimulants are typically detectable for about 2-3 days after a dose.
Stay normally hydrated. A lot of fluid right before the test can dilute your urine and make the results harder to read.
Fast only if your provider told you to. A urine drug screen does not require fasting on its own.
After your provider orders UDM
You get a New Lab Order message in your Secure Care Inbox when the order is ready. Wait for that message and its PDF before you go to the lab.
Book and give the sample the same way as any other lab order. The steps for Quest, Labcorp, and Sonora Quest are in How lab orders and testing work, under Step 4.
Results follow that same article: when they show up in the app, when your provider sends a summary, and what to do if the lab cannot find the order or the results are late.
Most UDM results confirm that treatment is on track. If something unexpected shows up, your provider will talk it through with you and decide on next steps with you.
If insurance does not cover UDM
What you may owe, and how to ask the lab for an estimate, is in How lab orders and testing work, under Lab billing and costs.
If your plan will not cover UDM, or you prefer to pay the lab yourself, you can buy a test:
Labcorp On Demand (ondemand.labcorp.com): select "Complete Drug Test"
Quest (questhealth.com): select "Drug Screening Test Panel - Expanded"
Those results are not sent to Circle Medical automatically. Send them before your provider can review them. Use Sending results from an outside lab in How lab orders and testing work. Your provider may ask you to book an appointment to go through them.
Questions
For a question about timing, preparation, or coverage, start a chat. The support team can pass clinical questions to your provider. See How to start a new chat with the support team.