Pattern of Consecutive Urinalysis Results for Opioid-dependent Patients on Dextropropoxyphene

Objective The study aims to examine the pattern of urinalysis among opioid-dependent patients for adherence to prescribed dextropropoxyphene. Methods A pilot retrospective study of 510 consecutive urinalyses of opioid-dependent patients who were on a prescription for dextropropoxyphene was conducted for a 1-year period. Results The results showed that 25.3% of the urine samples did not test positive for dextropropoxyphene, whereas morphine was present in 15.5%. Benzodiazepines were coprescribed in almost half (52.5%) of the samples, but were present in only one-third (31.7%) of the samples. Conclusion The pattern of nonadherence and illicit opioid use may be of assistance in making clinical decisions, and monitoring the trends in urinalysis may have implications for dispensing policy in a substance use treatment setting.