# Xanax/Alprazolam and employment drug tests **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 12, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963 "2004-06-12T13:33:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/1 "2004-06-12T13:33:08Z")
Do standard employment drug urine tests test for Xanax/Alprazolam? I know it’s legal, but I also know employers are not bound by law to not prevent the hiring of employees even for legally prescribed drugs. IIRC, they could legally not hire you if you test positive for aspirin. Also, can Xanax/Alprazolam cause a “false positive” for any other drugs? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/2 "2004-06-12T16:23:49Z")
Xanax will show as positive for benzodiazepines, which is the class of drugs to which it belongs. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/3 "2004-06-12T18:41:08Z")
Do employers test for benzodiazepines? Are there illicit drugs in that group? ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/4 "2004-06-12T18:51:19Z")
I could only find information regarding how long it can be tested for, which is up to one week after use. They, like most pharmaceuticals that alter anything, are also drugs of abuse besides drugs of [legitimate] use. In the “benzodiazepines” group are drugs like valium and rohypnol. Your basic drug test only looks for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP. But there are a lot of tests available. [Here](http://www.craigmedical.com/drugtests.htm) is one hard-to-read (excessive italics) example. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/5 "2004-06-12T18:54:36Z")
Someone at erowid dot org did some research and posted this (excerpts follow) > [@](#): > > Federal government guidelines (by NIDA-The National Institute on Drug Abuse and [SAMHSA](http://www.samhsa.gov/)-The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) require that companies which use commercial class drivers licenses for employees must have a testing system in place. Among other things, this required testing program must test for 5 specific categories of drugs (sometimes referred to as the “NIDA 5”). Because of this federal requirement, most drug testing companies offer a basic drug test which checks for drugs in these 5 common categories…[ul][li]Cannabinoids (marijuana, hash) [_]Cocaine (cocaine, crack, benzoylecognine) [_]Amphetamines (amphetamines, methamphetamines, speed) [_]Opiates (heroin, opium, codeine, morphine) [_]Phencyclidine (PCP)[/ul][/li]… > Expanded Tests > Most drug testing companies also offer an expanded test which includes a few additional drugs in the testing process. Most do not add all of these in their expanded test, but choose a different combination of 3 or 4 to add… [list follows, here Benzodiazepines are listed] > … ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/6 "2004-06-12T19:03:29Z")
Thanks for the info everybody. Does anybody have first hand experience where they were tested for employment, but tested positive for a drug they had a prescription for? I would hope that an employer would still hire the person, once the prescription is verified by the doctor, but it’s something that worries me. Ironic, isn’t it? It’s the damn worrying that caused the anxiety that I have to to take the damn medication for!!! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/7 "2004-06-12T19:03:55Z")
Many companies do test for commonly abused prescription drugs, and Xanax and its chemical cousins do fall into this category. There’s usually a threshold, though. There is some sort of cutoff amount which would be considered a level in your blood/piss/hair consistent with legitimate use, as opposed to abuse. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/8 "2004-06-12T19:08:18Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Does anybody have first hand experience where they were tested for employment, but tested positive for a drug they had a prescription for? Unfortunately, I don’t, nor do I know what information is given to employers from drug tests. > [@](#): > > Ironic, isn’t it? It’s the damn worrying that caused the anxiety that I have to to take the damn medication for!!! It is the war on drugs and irresponsible people that are to blame; nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/9 "2004-06-12T19:17:15Z")
In the DOT testing programs (and most employer programs) if a test turns up a positive for a drug, the Medical Review Officer (a physician with an added certification in whiz quiz testing) will contact the testee and ask if they have a legitimate reason for the positive substance. If they can demonstrate a legitimate prescription for the drug in question, the test is then reported to the employer as “negative”. However, the MRO will generally want to check with the prescribing physician and dispensing pharmacy to certify that all is legit. And if you one tests positive for heroin, there is no legit medical use in the USA to get one out of that situation. QtM, former MRO. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/10 "2004-06-12T19:19:52Z")
**Qadgop** , do these tests test for individual drugs, or do families of drugs all show up the same? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/11 "2004-06-12T19:28:30Z")
> [@erislover](#): > > **Qadgop** , do these tests test for individual drugs, or do families of drugs all show up the same? Depends on the test. Most are done as screening for general classes of meds, and if the test is positive, _then_ more precise tests can be ordered. Can, not will. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/12 "2004-06-12T22:37:49Z")
Thanks again all, sounds like worst case is that I’ll simply give them my doc’s number to verify the perscription. And the job I was hoping to get seems to have fallen through anyway, so a test isn’t imminent regardless… Doh. ---
**Author:** ![Padmaraga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@Padmaraga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padmaraga)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xanax-alprazolam-and-employment-drug-tests/249963/13 "2004-06-12T22:42:29Z")
I could be wrong, but it occurs to me that if you are refused employment because a drug test shows you are on an antianxiety medication, then they are, in effect, discriminating against you on the basis of a medical disability. At which point I’d talk to a lawyer well-versed in the ADA and employment law.