Today’s podcast will cover a substance of great concern today, fentanyl. We will  discuss and share information regarding the following: Latest trends in the drug misuse epidemic in the US What you need to know about fentanyl Why you need to consider drug testing for fentanyl (and other illicit substances) and how to  implement drug testing in your practice The episode will feature Quest Senior Medical Advisor Dr Jeff Gudin and Medical Science Liaison Dr Jack Kain. You may download a PDF version of this presentation here >> To listen to other podcasts in our Topics in Drug Testing series, or learn more about Quest Diagnostics’ comprehensive drug testing offering, please visit QuestDrugMonitoring.com. There you will find our Drug Monitoring Test Directory, as well as educational resources and insights from our team of toxicology experts. At Quest Diagnostics we are committed to providing you results and insight to support your clinical decisions.

Today’s podcast will cover the value of prescription and illicit drug testing and provide insight on the different clinical drug testing methodologies. We will discuss and share information regarding the following: Current state of the drug misuse epidemic in the US The value and clinical utility of drug testing Overview of the 2 main methodologies of drug testing, presumptive and definitive The episode will feature Quest Senior Medical Advisor, Dr Jeff Gudin; Medical Science Liaison Jack Kain, PharmD; and Executive Science Director, Les Edinboro, PhD.

Today’s podcast discussion will focus on clinical care for patients with mental health disorders. Will discuss and share information regarding: Mental health disorder and substance abuse prevalence The clinical utility of pharmacogenomics in mental health and addiction Mental health disorders and medication nonadherence The episode will feature Quest Senior Medical Advisor, Dr Jeff Gudin; Medical Liaison Jack Kain, PharmD; and Director, Medical Science Liaison—Neurology and Pharmacogenomics, Raymond Lorenz.

Today’s podcast discussion will focus on appropriate steps to take to implement an effective Drug Monitoring Protocol in your practice. Key information shared will include: Some of the key challenges facing clinicians today Important steps to take for implementing a responsible drug monitoring protocol How Quest can help The episode will feature Quest Senior Medical Advisor, Dr Jeff Gudin; Medical Liaison Jack Kain, PharmD; and Senior Product Manager Jason Suomala, for the Quest Diagnostics Drug Monitoring and Toxicology division.

Today’s podcast will cover the role of clinical drug monitoring in Behavioral Health and during times of crisis. Important information shared will include: Mental Health disorders, diagnosis and prevalence The challenge of medication adherence in mental health treatment The impact of crises on the treatment of patients with mental health conditions The role of clinical drug monitoring   The episode features Dr Jeff Gudin, senior medical advisor and Dr Jack Kain, medical science liaison for the Quest Diagnostics Drug Monitoring and Toxicology division.

Today’s podcast will cover testing for kratom, a drug of concern. Some of the key information shared will include: What is kratom? What is the chemical make-up? Kratom toxicity and side effects Testing for kratom Why testing is important? How to test for kratom What testing will tell you This episode features Jack Kain, PharmD, Quest Diagnostics medical science liaison, and Jeff Gudin, MD, senior medical advisor, Quest Diagnostics drug monitoring. 

Today's podcast will cover why and when to use oral fluid testing. Some key topics shared will include: What is oral fluid testing? Comparison of oral fluid testing to other methods of testing The benefits of oral fluid testing? Some of the drugs oral fluid testing can identify? How are the drugs identified? How is the sample collected? Discussion on some of the key collection issues The episode features Les Edinboro, PhD, Quest Diagnostics executive science director, toxicology and drug monitoring, and Jeff Gudin, MD, senior medical advisor, Quest Diagnostics drug monitoring. 

Today’s podcast will cover dangerous drug combinations and the role of clinical drug monitoring. Some of the key information that will be shared includes: What are dangerous drug combinations What practitioners and the public need to know about them How dangerous drug combinations can work together to lead to side effects Certain combinations predispose people to a greater risk of overdose and death Combinations that can affect drug levels, creating a pharmacokinetic drug–drug interaction Certain combinations that may result in excessive sedation How drug testing can help A tool to identify dangerous drug combinations How drug testing identifies metabolites unique to a substance This episode features Quest Diagnostics Senior Medical Advisor Dr Jeff Gudin and Medical Science Liaison Dr Jack Kain. 

The podcast will cover screening (drug testing) for alcohol use in pain management and primary care. Topics covered will include: Understand drug and alcohol misuse and abuse Prevalence rates of alcohol use and misuse, and alcohol use disorders Information on alcohol use, and concomitant use with opioids and benzodiazepines Screening guidelines Tools and types of tests Testing for alcohol Breathalyzer Advances in testing Biomarkers Other considerations Quest Diagnostics approach This episode features Quest Diagnostics Senior Medical Advisor Dr Jeff Gudin and Medical Science Liaison Dr Jack Kain. 

Today’s episode is on patients with substance use disorders in medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Some of the key points that will be covered include: What is medication-assisted treatment What are the goals of an MAT treatment program Medications used in MAT treatment  Drug testing during MAT Purpose of drug testing Types of drug testing Specimen collection Specimen validity Test confirmation This episode features Quest Diagnostics Senior Medical Advisor, Dr Jeff Gudin, and Medical Science Liaison, Dr Jack Kain.