ASAM Appropriate Use of Drug Testing in Clinical Addiction Medicine Guideline Summary - Guideline Central

Design and created by Guideline Central in participation with the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Document Overview

Document Title: Appropriate Use of Drug Testing in Clinical Addiction Medicine

Authoring Society: American Society of Addiction Medicine

Endorsing Society: American College of Medical Toxicology

Document Publication Date: Jun 1, 2017

Page Last Reviewed/Updated: May 5, 2026

Document Type: Consensus Statement

Country of Publication: United States

Full Text Freely Available: Yes

Full Text Guideline: journals.lww.com/journaladdictionmedicine/FullText/2017/06000/Appropriate_Use_of_Drug_Testing_in_Clinical.1.aspx

Supplemental Implementation Resources

Document Scope, Criteria, and Use Cases

Document Objectives: The purpose of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) document Appropriate Use of Drug Testing in Clinical Addiction Medicine is to provide guidance about the effective use of drug testing in the identification, diagnosis, treatment, and promotion of recovery for patients with, or at risk for, addiction. This document draws on existing empirical evidence and clinical judgment on drug testing with the goal of improving the quality of care that people with addiction receive.

Scope: Assessment and Screening

Keywords: Addiction Medicine, Drug Testing, UDT, Urine Drug Testing

Target Patient Population: patients with, or at risk for, addiction

Inclusion Criteria: Male, Female, Adolescent, Adult, Older Adult

Health Care Settings: Ambulatory, Correctional Facility, Laboratory Services

Intended Users: Addiction Treatment Specialist, Laboratory Technician, Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician, Physician Assistant

Recommendation Development Processes & Methodology

Supplemental Methodology Resource: Data Supplement

Number of Source Documents: 237

Includes peer/external review process?: Yes

Includes public comment process?: Yes

Methodologist involvement?: Yes

Patient involvement?: No

Includes multi-disciplinary group?: Yes

Includes systematic review?: Yes

Grades quality of strength of evidence?: No

Grades quality of strength of recommendation?: No

Discloses conflicts of interest?: Yes

Includes benefits/harms analysis with recommendations?: No